Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of administrators to oversee all 23 Local Government Areas in the state. This decision follows a recent development in which a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt issued a restraining order against the move.
The court’s order, delivered by Justice Adam Muhammed on Tuesday, was in response to a lawsuit filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by Courage Msirimovu, challenging Ibas in his official capacity.
Despite the court’s injunction, Ibas has also approved the reconstitution of several boards overseeing state agencies, commissions, and parastatals that had previously been suspended.
The announcement was made public in a Special Government Notice released on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibibia Worika.
While the names of the newly appointed administrators were not disclosed, the statement indicated that the appointments are effective immediately, starting from Monday, April 7, 2025.
The statement read: “His Excellency, the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the appointments of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. He has also approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals earlier suspended. All appointments take effect from Monday, the 7th of April, 2025.”
Earlier last week, Ibas had suspended the leadership of all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state with immediate effect. Additionally, he annulled all ongoing procurement and tendering processes conducted by these MDAs, citing a Supreme Court ruling and the lack of a valid appropriation law during the period in question.
In a previous statement issued by the SSG, the sole administrator directed that all MDAs involved in the suspended procurement processes refund any fees collected from contractors without delay.
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