***“You can’t demand integrity from politicians while hiding skeletons in your own closet” — PILL
League (PILL) has called for the immediate resignation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Anyiam Osigwe (SAN), and the refund of N300 million allegedly received from suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, PILL President, Dr. Abdul Mahmud, described the scandal as a “sordid betrayal” of public trust and a stain on the moral standing of the legal profession.
“The NBA collected N300 million from a sitting governor and never disclosed it until they were exposed by an external political appointee. Why hide such a transaction from your own members?” Mahmud questioned, referencing a recent demand by Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), for the refund of the money.
Mahmud accused NBA President Osigwe and Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Emeka Obegolu (SAN), of gross misconduct and abuse of office. He demanded their resignation and full repayment of the sum, warning, “This scandal is not about money—it is about integrity, principle, and the soul of the Nigerian Bar.”
PILL criticized the NBA’s claim that the money was a “gift,” adding that the decision to relocate the upcoming conference from Rivers to Enugu was arbitrary and undemocratic.
“The NBA cannot posture as a watchdog of public morality while indulging in backdoor transactions and secrecy,” Mahmud declared. “Silence in the face of financial impropriety is complicity. The only redemption is for Osigwe and Obegolu to resign and return the money to the people of Rivers State.”