Eric Patrick
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of accepting an unapproved N300 million donation from the Rivers State Government in exchange for its opposition to a proposed state of emergency in the state.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, made the allegation during a media chat in Abuja on Friday.
He claimed that the NBA’s stance against the emergency rule was compromised by the financial gift, which he described as both illegal and outside the provisions of the state’s approved budget.
According to Wike, such donations during his administration were always properly documented and appropriated under a designated budget line item labeled as “grant.”
He alleged that the transaction between the NBA and the current state government—led by a sole administrator—would have remained hidden had it not been for the recent fallout between both parties.
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“It is unfortunate. The president declared a state of emergency, they [NBA] said it is unconstitutional—until everybody found out why. The state gave them a gift of N300 million,” Wike said.
“A gift that was not appropriated. There is no appropriation. The NBA took an illegal gift. Assuming all these issues did not come out, would anyone have known they accepted that gift?”
Wike’s comments come amid escalating political tensions in Rivers State, where governance has been under intense scrutiny following a protracted conflict between the governor and state assembly.