Politics
Ex-sole administrator Ibas kicks as Rivers Assembly moves to probe six-month tenure
A fresh confrontation is brewing in Rivers State as the immediate past sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has rejected moves by the state House of Assembly to probe financial transactions during his six-month emergency rule.
The Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, at its first sitting after resuming from suspension, resolved to investigate how state funds were spent between March and September 2025, when Rivers was under emergency administration. Lawmakers specifically vowed to review expenditure from the consolidated revenue fund, contracts awarded, and other financial commitments during the period.
Findings show Rivers received at least N254.37bn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August alone. Of this, oil derivation accounted for more than half, while about N26.31bn was lost to debt servicing. Civil society organisations have demanded accountability, alleging that major projects remained stalled despite the huge inflows.
Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers, Enefaa Georgewill, argued that Ibas’ administration lacked transparency. “We suspect corruption. Most major projects are still abandoned, including the Assembly Complex. The governor must set up a panel of inquiry,” he insisted.
Similarly, the Civil Liberties Organisation faulted the entire emergency rule arrangement, describing it as unconstitutional and opaque, while stressing the need for accountability.
But in a sharp response, Ibas dismissed the Assembly’s move as baseless, insisting the lawmakers had no authority to probe him. Speaking through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubu, he argued that since he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu and supervised by the National Assembly, the Rivers Assembly lacked jurisdiction to question his tenure.
“When you say they want to probe the administrator, was it the Assembly that appointed him?” Igbikiowubu asked. “If the administrator was appointed by the President and supervised by the National Assembly, then probing him amounts to probing the President and the National Assembly. It’s a fool’s errand.”
Ibas further suggested that the lawmakers, having been on suspension for six months, were only trying to justify their return by launching what he described as “mere commentary.”
The clash sets the stage for a potential showdown between the reinstated Assembly and the former sole administrator, as public pressure mounts for a detailed audit of how Rivers’ billions were managed under emergency rule.
