Account For Rivers N300m Donation, Northern Youths Tell NBA President

The Northern Youth Assembly of Nigeria, NYAN, has called on the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr Afam Osigwe, SAN, to account for the N300m donated to the association by the Rivers state government.

The youth organisation’s reaction follows the NBA President’s condemnation of the award of recognition to the former Chairman of the Pension Taskforce, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina.

The NBA had condemned the award given to Maina by the Garki Branch of the association.

The NYAN, in response to the NBA President’s comments, asked for a breakdown of the N300m donation.

The NBA had said the money received from the Rivers State Government for the 2025 annual general conference (AGC) was a “gift”.

The association said the legal body did not sell the conference’s hosting rights.

Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Itodo Apeh Godswill, said the Garki Branch of the NBA has the right to make decisions on its own.

“The Northern Youth Assembly of Nigeria is compelled to address the nation today following the disturbing, overreaching, and politically coloured actions of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Afam Osigwe, SAN, in relation to the internal affairs of the NBA Garki Branch and the recognition accorded to Mr Abdulrasheed Maina.

Honourable Godswill said, “We state clearly and without ambiguity: The conduct of the NBA President amounts to unnecessary meddling, executive overreach, and an abuse of moral authority.

“The NBA Garki Branch is not a personal department of the NBA President. It is a constitutionally recognised branch with autonomy to make lawful decisions within its internal framework.

“For the NBA President to descend into branch-level affairs with threats, suspensions, and public disclaimers smacks of insecurity, intolerance, and authoritarianism.

“This obsession with control, rather than leadership, raises serious concerns about the direction of the NBA under Mr Osigwe’s watch.

“Before lecturing Nigerians on integrity, Mr Afam Osigwe owes the Nigerian public and the legal community a clear account of the ₦300,000,000 reportedly received from the Rivers State Government for the hosting of the NBA Annual General Conference.

“To date, no detailed public breakdown has been issued. In the N300m received by Mr Afam Osigwe. No transparent accounting record has been presented by him, no independent audit has been published on the whereabouts of the N300m

“We ask: Who received the money? How was it spent? Why the silence? Moral authority cannot be asserted by press statements—it is earned through transparency”.

On Abdulrasheed Maina and the award, the group said, contrary to attempts at retrospective justification, Abdulrasheed Maina deserved the recognition accorded to him.

He said Maina has served the nation meritoriously and therefore deserves the award.

“Going by documented records, he has served this country meritoriously, and is owed N65BN by the Buhari Administration. Was Afam Osigwe not part of the legal team after the recovery of the N65BN owed to Maina?

“It is trite law that recognition or civic engagement does not amount to acquittal, nor does it constitute an endorsement of any Unsubstantiated conduct. While it is acknowledged that Mr Maina has a pending appeal regarding what he described as an organised mal-conviction, it is incontrovertible that the same matter is pending before a superior Court of competent jurisdiction.

“By virtue of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), such pending proceedings are sub judice and must be determined strictly on their merits. Any conduct that purports to impose additional sanctions, deny civic dignity, or subject an individual to prejudicial treatment outside the scope of a subsisting judicial pronouncement amounts to extra-judicial punishment, is inconsistent with due process, and offends the principles of fair hearing, proportionality, and the rule of law, which is basically something very important to note”, he said.

The group condemns the shameful disclaimer issued by the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch, Mr Anthony Bamidele Ojo, which reverses patronage and throws his branch under the bus to appease external pressure.