The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has clarified the controversy that trailed the performance of popular street singer, Habeeb Okikiola, with the stage name Portable at its concert in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking on the issues, the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Akorede Lawal said the association was not responsible for the invitation of Portable, neither did they pay for his appearance at the event which took place at the Velodrome of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

Lawal, who said NBA’s headline sponsor, Cubana Group was the one who brought Portable, however, expressed gratitude to them, saying “NBA didn’t pay a dime for the performance of Portable…we are appreciative.”

He added, “For the fact that they had made arrangements for Portable to come, we only wanted in the spirit of sportsmanship and brotherhood with our lead sponsor to allow him to perform and we are appreciative of that.”

His words: “The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference is the largest gathering of lawyers anywhere in the world, so the planning of such an event is not an easy one. You will have to partner with some people particularly because the NBA is not a profit-making organisation.

“So, because of the nature of work we do and the mental strain, we (lawyers) use the conference as an avenue to unwind. At every conference, we have a place we call the friendship centre where members can go to network, eat, and drink as the conference is going on.

“The friendship centre is like a market of entertainment that NBA does not manage. What the NBA does is partner with people or organization in the entertainment industry to handle the friendship centre.

“This year’s conference was managed by an entertainment industry who managed the friendship centre. What they did was to bring an artiste signed to them to perform on the last day of the conference which is the 30th of August.

“Coincidentally, the NBA on its own organised a closing party called ‘Unbarred.’ The Friendship Centre is within the conference venue while the unbarred event was meant to be held at the Velodrome of the National Stadium.

“We didn’t want a situation where there would be two social events going on simultaneously, one at the friendship centre and one at the velodrome. So, there was an order that the fellowship centre be closed.

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“However, before the order came, the headline sponsors had gone ahead for the Portable to perform. For the fact that they had made arrangements for Portable to come, we only wanted in the spirit of sportsmanship and brotherhood with our lead sponsor to allow him perform and we are appreciative of that.

“The NBA didn’t pay a dime for the performance of Portable, the sponsor of our friendship centre did and we are appreciative.

“In the course of the event, people were there and stayed even after Portable left. The event ended at 3:30 a.m, when the DJ called for a close.

“The video circulating of lawyers leaving is not from the velodrome but from a marquee. It was a showcase session for a security agency that said something our members didn’t agree with, and they left. This happened in the afternoon at the marquee.”

By Ayobami Okerinde

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