Sole Administrator Ibas orders immediate handover to civil servants
PORT HARCOURT — Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has ordered the immediate suspension of all political office holders and government appointees across the state’s administration. The sweeping directive, announced Wednesday through the Administrator’s Chief of Staff, affects hundreds of officials including:
- The Secretary to the State Government
- Chief of Staff to the former Governor
- All Commissioners
- Board/Council members of agencies and parastatals
- Special Advisers and Assistants
The statement cited presidential authority granted to Ibas following the recent political crisis in Rivers State. Suspended officials were instructed to:
- Immediately hand over to permanent secretaries in their ministries
- Where no permanent secretary exists, transfer duties to the most senior director
- Cease all official functions until further notice
This unprecedented move comes three weeks after Ibas assumed office as sole administrator following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration. Legal experts are divided on the constitutionality of the mass suspension, with some citing potential violations of Nigeria’s federal structure.
