9th April , 2025
News desk
Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has approved the appointment of administrators for the state’s 23 Local Government Areas.
Less than 24 hours after a Federal High Court reportedly restrained him from making such appointments.
The controversial decision comes amid ongoing legal proceedings. Justice Adam Muhammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim order on Tuesday in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025. The suit, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Msirimovu, sought to halt the administrator’s appointment powers.
Despite the court’s ruling, a Special Government Announcement released Wednesday morning by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ibibia Worika, confirmed that the appointments had been approved and would take immediate effect from Monday, April 7, 2025.
The statement also revealed that the Sole Administrator had approved the reconstitution of several boards of government agencies, commissions, and parastatals previously suspended. However, the identities of the appointees were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Ibas canceled all pending procurement and tender processes carried out by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state. He cited the absence of an appropriation law during the period and a recent Supreme Court judgment as justification for the decision.
All MDAs involved in such tender activities have been directed to refund fees to affected contractors, as stated in an earlier government notice issued by the SSG.
This latest move follows a sweeping administrative shake-up last week in which all heads of MDAs were suspended with immediate effect.
