Awka
The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) has called on the Imo State Government to publicly explain the reported release of ₦350 million to the six branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the state for lawyers attending the 2026 NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The rights organisation said while government support for lawyers’ professional development is not objectionable, the reported size, timing and circumstances surrounding the intervention raise concerns about transparency, accountability and the independence of the legal profession.
The reported disbursement, which has generated public debate, was first made public by human rights lawyer and former Secretary of the NBA Owerri Branch, Chinedu Agu, who said the Owerri Branch received ₦100 million, while the other five branches were allocated ₦50 million each.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okoye Chuka Peter, CEHRAWS argued that the issue is not whether lawyers deserve financial support, but whether such a large sum of public money could have been better invested in addressing long-standing challenges confronting Imo’s justice sector.
“A conference lasts a few days; a functional justice system serves citizens for generations,” the group stated.
CEHRAWS cited reports of poor court infrastructure, inadequate office facilities, unreliable electricity supply, transportation challenges affecting judicial officers and insufficient working tools for law officers as pressing issues that deserve greater government attention.
The organisation said the Imo State Public Procurement Law requires public funds to be managed with honesty, transparency, accountability and judicious use, insisting that government owes residents clear explanations about the expenditure.
Among the questions it raised were the legal and budgetary basis for the reported ₦350 million, the budget line from which the funds were drawn, the criteria used to determine allocations among NBA branches and the accountability measures put in place to ensure the money is used for its stated purpose.
CEHRAWS also addressed allegations circulating in public discussions that the timing of the reported intervention coincided with conversations surrounding the leadership of the Imo State Judiciary and claims that NBA branch chairmen were approached to endorse a letter relating to the appointment of a Chief Judge.
The organisation stressed that it had not independently verified the allegations and was not presenting them as established facts, but maintained that the claims warrant clarification from the relevant authorities.
It described as particularly troubling allegations that the NBA Mbaise Branch was reportedly denied its ₦50 million allocation after its chairman allegedly declined to endorse the said letter because it did not reflect the position of his branch.
“If this allegation is correct, why was an allocation reportedly intended to support lawyers attending the Annual General Conference linked, directly or indirectly, to the endorsement of an institutional or political position?” the statement queried.
CEHRAWS warned that public funds must never be used to reward compliance, punish dissent or influence the independent position of a professional body, adding that the NBA’s constitutional role as a defender of the rule of law and human rights makes its independence particularly important.
The group further urged the Imo State Government to increase investment in court buildings, judicial facilities, alternative power supply, official vehicles for judicial officers and essential office equipment for law officers across the state.
It also called on the NBA leadership and its branches in Imo to uphold the highest standards of institutional independence and transparency in their dealings with government.
CEHRAWS urged the state government to publicly disclose the legal and administrative basis for the reported intervention, publish details of allocations to each branch, clarify whether any conditions were attached to the funds, explain the reported non-payment to the Mbaise Branch if confirmed and subject the expenditure to appropriate audit scrutiny.
According to the organisation, transparency and accountability remain the appropriate response to growing public interest in the reported disbursement.
“A government that has nothing to hide should have nothing to fear from legitimate questions about public expenditure,” the statement concluded.
