*‘I Won’t Tolerate Abuse Of Office, Misuse Of Public Funds’
*Why I Appointed Council Administrators
*HURIWA Condemns ‘Systematic Dismantling’ Of Democracy In Rivers
THE Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has assured that he was unbias and not taking sides in the Rivers State political crisis, vowing to uphold the law and ensure that all aggrieved parties, irrespective of political leanings, have a voice.
Speaking at a meeting with the heads of youth organisations and stakeholders, led by the Rivers State Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Nwisabari Bani, at Government House, Port Harcourt, Ibas said: “It is important to restate my impartial stand on the political crisis that has plagued our State.
“I remain committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all individuals, irrespective of their political affiliations, have a voice in the future of Rivers State.
“My administration will continue to focus on the collective good of our people.”
President Bola Tinubu appointed Ibas as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State following the political crisis rocking the state.
In a related develpment, Ibas warned that his administration would not tolerate abuse of office and misuse of public funds.
A statement from Government House said Ibas, a former Naval chief, gave the warning in Port Harcourt at a meeting with the newly appointed sole administrators for the 23 local councils, saying: “Let me state it unequivocally clear here: this administration will not tolerate any form of recklessness, abuse of office or misuse of public funds or trust.
“The resources allocated to our local government must be used strictly for the purposes intended, so that there might be accountability and value for money for every project executed, every policy implemented and every kobo spent. The people of Rivers State deserve to see how their money is being used, and it is your duty to give proper account and value.”
Ibas appointed the sole administrators last week despite a subsisting court order barring him from doing so, therebt attracting criticism from many quarters, including a former governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada-George, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which said Ibas was governing the state as though it was under military rule.
The Association subsequently moved its 2025 Annual General Conference, earlier scheduled for Port Harcourt, to Enugu in protest of the emergency rule in Rivers.
But Ibas, while addressing the concerns at the meeting with the councils new helmsmen, defended their appointment, saying they were to help him deliver on the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu.
He stated: “Since resuming this assignment, I have taken time to visit a few local government areas. Those visits have accorded me the opportunity to interact with local government civil servants and it is clear that I needed help with administering the entire state, which I am responsible for following Mr. President’s proclamation.
“And so I went about trying to identify a few individuals from which, on the 7th of April 2025, I selected those seated here today as administrators of the 23 Local Government Areas.”
He urged them to focus on sanitation and environment management, primary healthcare, welfare and discipline of local government civil servants, primary education and youth engagement, which will be used to assess their performances in the coming weeks.
“I expect you all to recognise this moment in history and rise to the occasion as impartial leaders who will help me deliver on the mandate given to me by Mr. President to restore peace and stability and work towards returning all democratic institutions in the state.
“Your selection to the important office is not by chance, but a recognition of your capacity to lead, your commitment to service and the trust reposed in you to bring governance closer to the people.
“Therefore, you bear the sacred responsibility, a duty to ensure that affairs of your respective councils are managed with the utmost care, respect and unwavering dedication to the welfare of our people.”
He charged them to be prudent and comply with the principles of due processes, transparency and zero tolerance for financial recklessness.
Meanwhile, a leading civil rights and pro-democracy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned what it described as the sole administrator’s “systematic and unconstitutional dismantling of democratic structures” in Rivers State.
The group, in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused Ibas of acting like “a bull in a China shop” by allegedly removing official portraits of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from public buildings and bypassing court orders to install unelected local council administrators.
“HURIWA and 36 other registered non-governmental organisations reject this unconstitutional overreach and systematic power grab by someone who should know better.
“Ibas served Nigeria with distinction in the Navy. It is unfortunate that he is allowing himself to be used to destroy democracy in Rivers State,” it stated.
The group insisted that Siminalayi Fubara, having been duly elected and inaugurated, remains the legitimate and sitting governor of Rivers State, warning against any move undermining his authority or cutting his constitutional tenure short.
Onwubiko cautioned that if not checked, Ibas’ actions could set a dangerous precedent, noting: “Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees local government autonomy and democratic governance at all levels.
“The appointment of unelected individuals to govern local councils is a gross violation of this constitutional provision.”
HURIWA urged the people of Rivers State and all democratic institutions to resist the “total and undemocratic takeover” of the state, adding: “The validly recognised sitting governor of Rivers State remains Mr. Siminalayi Fubara until the expiration of his constitutional tenure.
“The President of Nigeria has no power to unseat a sitting governor. This affront to democracy must be reversed.”
While advising Ibas to reject his current “politically charged assignment” and preserve his legacy as a respected public servant, he said: “Rather than being remembered for his decades of meritorious military service, he risks being remembered as the man who helped destroy democracy in Rivers State.”
