Stakeholders have charged former Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-ette Ibas, to heed the public’s call for probe and accountability over his stewardship in the six months that he supervised the affairs of the state.
Speakers at an online conversation organised by the NPO Reports in conjunction with Iwadi Development Initiative on Monday said the spending of the N254.37 billion that accrued from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025 need to be accounted for.
Ibas had last week stepped down from his position after the expiration of the six months of state of emergency and suspension of the Governor, Sim Fubara and members of the House of Assembly.
President Bola Tinubu had declared an end to the emergency rule in the state as well as reinstating Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Recall that the President had on the 18th of March declared a state of emergency in Rivers with Fubara, his cabinet, and the state Assembly lawmakers suspended for six months over lingering political crisis in the state.
In Fubara’s stead, Tinubu had appointed Ibas as the Sole Administrator.
A Supreme Court ruling had ordered the cessation of federal allocation to the state over the political impasse.
Ibas’ assumption of office however saw the order being lifted as funds were allocated to him for the running of the state’s affairs.
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According to reports, the fund was derived largely from oil revenue through the 13 percent derivation, which accounted for N133.24 billion, more than half of the total allocation.
With Fubara’s return last week Friday, calls have since been made for the probe of Ibas on how the allocation was spent.
Deliberating on the state of affairs in Rivers with Fubara’s return in X Space hosted on Monday by NPO Reports, Muyiwa Adeyemi, a former Politics Editor of the Guardian Newspaper, and Paul Bazia, the Chairman of the National Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, reiterated the call for the probe.
Adeyemi, in his submission, charged the National Assembly to demand a comprehensive account from Ibas and make it public.
“When we mention probes, some people might think we want to be hostile.
“All the proceeds and what you’ve done with those proceeds, you ought to account for it.
“Ibas himself does not derive his power from the Rivers Assembly.
“But the National Assembly has the power to ask him. The National Assembly should, as a matter of urgency, ask him to give a comprehensive account and make it public.
“If they refuse to make it public, how will you now probe? If the National Assembly fails to do so, Nigerians should hold both chambers responsible,” he said.
However, the former editor noted that the declaration of the emergency rule from the onset cast a shadow on the rule of law which thrives on accountability of those in power.
He held that the emergency rule which also has implications for Nigeria in general, was a reminder of the military rule era where office holders could not be held accountable.
“Having an aberration like the emergency rule is not what any democrat will want because it is a reminder of our very bad experience during the military rule.
“For six months, we all knew how much accrued to the state. And for six months, there was nobody asking for development in the state.
“In democracy, there is contestation of ideas. Each local government and communities should be making noise about development they wanted. You will see all those noises in the public space which shapes opinions.
“And once it shapes opinions, it has a way of getting to the government.
“Apart from being a sad reminder of our past, we now see that any military government or emergency rule is unaccountable and one of the major essences of rule of law and democracy is accountability.
“With so much money accruing to the state, close to N300 billion in six months and the man seems not to be willing to come up to account for the money.
“Yes he could be paying salaries, but what happened to the capital projects? From what we are hearing from people in that state, he did not do much when it came to executing some of the projects he met on ground.
“If we continue to allow political crises to lead into states of emergency, many states will also suffer the same fate of six months in comatose as we all experienced in Rivers State,” he said.
On his part, Bazia maintained that Ibas’ submission to the probe will also help him clear his name and shun speculations on how he spent the state funds.
“For the purpose of accountability, you need to show the people “I received XYZ amount, this is what I spent.”
“People will also equally see that he did not embezzle the state’s fund. Either we see that he took our money without justification, or we also see that he spent our money. I think it will also help Ibas himself when he presents his own account of stewardship.”
Bazia said it is a normal and natural thing for the sole administrator to give account, adding that it is not about indicting him but also about clearing his name.
He added, “It is a good call. But it is the National Assembly that will do that.
“Interest of Rivers State should be paramount. In terms of decision making, actions, let the Commissioners to be appointed and Assembly members think about Rivers state first,” Bazia said.
The speakers at the online event also reflected on the power tussle between Fubara and his predecessor and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Adeyemi, on his part, ruled out the chances of Fubara winning Wike as he pointed at the governor’s lack of structure within the state’s political setting.
He noted that the governor’s clash with Wike was too early which placed him at odds and also showed he was not an active politician.
“I couldn’t see Fubara winning the battle. To fight a battle, you must have structure.
“The lawmakers are already in APC and you are still in PDP, meaning that absolute majority of your members are in APC. The policy direction and philosophy were rejigged.
“All the local government chairmen, the absolute majority of them were not in the same party with you. You were not even there when they were elected. So, their loyalty is not to you.
“I saw politics that affected governance in Rivers. Fubara didn’t define what he wanted. He could not decipher between activism and politics. He was not an active politician. He was caught in the web,” he said.
Adeyemi also pointed at the President’s support of Wike as another factor that placed Fubara at odds in the fight, adding that the emergency rule even favoured the FCT Minister more than the governor.
“We can see that once you are with the President, you can do and undo.
“That is why everything in this emergency rule worked against Fubara and in favour of Wike,” he said.
The former editor however noted that if Fubara had been in APC with Wike still in PDP, the tide would have changed in favour of the governor.
“Had it been that Fubara was in APC then or behaved like a politician with Wike still dining with the APC while in PDP, would Tinubu had declared the emergency rule? He wouldn’t havem,” he said.
On his part, Bazia described Fubara as more of a technocrat than a politician.
While acknowledging his works in the state which he claimed the people and Wike are also aware of, the NUJ Chairman said Fubara’s return now leaves a question if he will continue with his legacy projects or succumb to the demands of Wike.
“Fubara is more of a technocrat than a politician. He was never a politician.
“The question in people’s mind now is what kind of governor will Fubara now be with everybody together now?
“There are some projects that he has already started that, if completed, will change the narratives. Rivers will be waiting to see if he will complete the projects.
“Even Wike, who is his godfather, has also seen the body language of Rivers people that these people are loving what he is doing,” he said.
In the same vein, Adeyemi claimed that Wike is currently in a dilemma over his future with Fubara’s return.
“Anybody fighting for Wike now is fighting blindly because you don’t know what you are fighting for. Wike is in a dilemma to choose a future or choose the convenience of staying in governance and continue to do his master’s bidding.” the former Guardian politics editor said.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi noted that the contribution of Tinubu in the escalation and resolution crisis showed his trait as the first true Nigerian politician to become a President.
“Unknown to many Nigerians, this is the first time we are having a typical Nigerian politician as President.
“He has sent signals to all the governors that even if you are not with me, you should know how to run your mouth. He has sent signals to all the governors that he is in charge,” he said.
