The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has addressed the controversy surrounding singer Portable performing at their 2023 Annual General Conference.

The NBA clarified that Portable’s appearance was not due to a financial arrangement but was part of the sponsorship agreement with Obi Cubana’s Cubana Group, the headline sponsor of the event.

In recent days, social media users expressed their disapproval of the NBA’s decision to invite Portable to perform at an event attended by legal professionals.

Some critics argued that the NBA’s choice had tarnished its reputation and portrayed the association in a less conservative light.

In response to the backlash, the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Akorede Lawal, provided clarification during an exclusive interview with PUNCH.

He emphasized that Portable’s participation was linked to Obi Cubana’s involvement as the headline sponsor of the conference. Portable is a brand ambassador for Odogwu Bitters, one of the products under the Cubana Group’s umbrella.

“We did not pay a dime to Portable for the concert. 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.

“We have partners from America, Chile, and a host of other countries who pride in what we do and take it upon themselves to get the programme financed annually”, he said.

Regarding rumours of lawyers staging a walkout during Portable’s performance, Lawal clarified that this did not occur.

He explained that the Friendship Centre, where the lawyers typically gather for social activities, had initially been chosen as the venue for the concert.

However, due to the ongoing festivities at the Friendship Centre, the NBA decided to relocate the lawyers to the ‘Unbarred concert’ at the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja to avoid overlapping events.

“So, the concert was meant to take place there but we later told the lawyers to move to the ‘Unbarred concert’ at the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja 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.

“They were the headline sponsor of the centre and that’s where the DJs and every other social activities had been going on since the start of the event. So we closed the place down to have a unified event,” he added.

He further appreciated the Cubana Group for sponsoring the event.

The conference tagged “Getting it right” marked the 63rd and it started on Friday, August 25 to Wednesday, August 30, 2023, with several activities earmarked for the occasion.