The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has opened up on why paid singer Portable to perform at its 2023 Annual General Conference (AGC).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the conference, which was held in Abuja from August 25 to 30, 2023, was headlined by businessman Obi Cubana. Portable is one of Cubana’s brand ambassadors.
Portable’s performance at the NBA AGC sparked a debate on social media. Some people criticized the NBA for inviting a controversial singer to perform at such a prestigious event.
Making clarification in an interview with the Punch Newspaper, NBA National Publicity Secretary Akorede Lawal said that Portable was invited to perform at the event by Cubana Group, as part of their sponsorship package.
“We did not pay a dime to Portable for the concert,” Lawal said. “It is the largest gathering of lawyers anywhere in the world and so to that extent, we always write to sponsors to finance every level of our events.”
Lawal also denied reports that lawyers staged a walkout on Portable at the event. He said that the concert was originally supposed to take place at the Friendship Centre, but was moved to the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja at the last minute.
“The Friendship Centre is the customary place where all lawyers go to unwind, network and do all other social activities,” Lawal said. “So, the concert was meant to take place there but we later told the lawyers to move to the ‘Unbarred concert’ at the Velodrome because we don’t want two events at the same time given that that place (Friendship Centre) had been decorated already to promote their brands.”
The conference was themed “Getting it right” and focused on a number of issues, including the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and the development of the legal profession.
