Fubara’s Return: Ibas begins transition activities with thanksgiving service

By Daniel Abia

With conscionable 4 days near to the overmuch anticipated September 18 deadline for the lifting of the exigency regularisation successful Rivers State, the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok –Ette Ekwe Ibas, rtd, has concluded plans to clasp a thanksgiving service.

Invited for the thanksgiving work are the imperishable secretaries, section authorities chairmen, heads of authorities information and para-military agencies, accepted rulers, chairmen and members of boards and governing councils, and captains of industries among others.

The event, which is scheduled to instrumentality spot astatine the Ecumenical Centre, Abonnima Warf Road, Port Harcourt astatine 10am, has Ibas arsenic a peculiar impermanent of honor, according to a connection signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika,

Despite the information that Ibas has conscionable a fewer days near to vacate the Government House, helium took a decisive determination to tackle longstanding issues successful the state’s pension strategy by inaugurating the recently constituted Rivers State Pensions Board with a mandate to reconstruct accountability, transparency, and efficiency.

During the inauguration ceremonial connected Friday astatine the Executive Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt, the Administrator declared his administration’s unwavering determination to extremity the prolonged suffering of retirees, galore of whom person faced years of delayed payments.

“Today’s lawsuit is not conscionable ceremonial, it is simply a reaffirmation of our government’s committedness to ensuring that those who person labored faithfully successful the work of our beloved authorities are treated with the dignity, respect, and attraction they genuinely deserve,” Ibas stated.

He lamented the neglect faced by pensioners, whom helium described arsenic dedicated men and women who “gave their champion years to gathering Rivers State.”

Ibas made it wide that the inauguration of the committee indispensable service arsenic a definitive turning point, marking an extremity to the epoch of hardship for retirees. In a steadfast complaint to the caller committee members, the Administrator said:”The committee indispensable beryllium a exemplary of bully governance. Excuses volition not beryllium entertained. Our pensioners person waited agelong enough, expectations are high, and the clip to present is now.”

He revealed that the ongoing state-wide re-verification workout has already exposed important lapses successful the erstwhile system. The caller board, helium explained, was cautiously selected to reconstruct confidence, guarantee the punctual processing and outgo of entitlements, and fundamentally safeguard the payment of each retirees.

Last week, Ibas said the mandate handed to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was “sufficiently achieved,” pursuing the palmy restoration of antiauthoritarian governance astatine the grassroots level.

The declaration was made astatine Government House, Port Harcourt, during a ceremonial wherever the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) presented the broad study of the precocious concluded section authorities elections to the authorities government.

“Mr. President’s mandate to maine was clear: to stabilize the state, make an enabling situation for the re-establishment of its institutions, and instrumentality Rivers State backmost to afloat antiauthoritarian governance,” the Administrator said. “With the palmy behaviour and swearing-in of section authorities chairmen and their councils, I judge we person decisively achieved the mandate that we were given.”

Expectations are precocious with Rivers radical waiting patiently from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arsenic the timepiece winds down six months since the declaration of exigency regularisation successful the state.

In March 2025, pursuing a protracted governmental situation successful Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a six period authorities of exigency successful the state. The determination included suspending the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu; and each members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. In their place, a retired Vice Admiral, Ibok Étè Ibas, was appointed arsenic sole head to tally the affairs of the state, portion the judiciary was near intact.

The basal of the situation progressive a powerfulness conflict wrong the absorption party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), particularly betwixt Governor Fubara and erstwhile politician Nyesom Wike, who is present Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. A cardinal trigger was the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly analyzable successful December 2023 by Governor Fubara, which had not been rebuilt much than a twelvemonth later. The Supreme Court connected 28 February 2025 ruled that 27 lawmakers who defe...