PHOTO: Tinubu swears-in Rivers sole administrator, promises to release withheld allocation

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas Rtd as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.

The brief ceremony took place at the State House, Abuja, at about 3pm on Wednesday.

Present at the ceremony were key government officials—Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Principal Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.

This is coming after President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for taken the measure.

As part of the directive, he also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas as the sole administrator to manage the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.

Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Meanwhile, the federal government has dismissed allegations that former Rivers Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, played any role in the crisis that led to the emergency rule.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

While fielding questions on whether the Federal Government would release the allocation from the federation account to the state in view of the latest development, the Minister said if the administrator requests for it, it will be released to him.

“And to me, it will be in order for the release of that fund because the event of the extraordinary situation has brought them out of the normal situation of things.”

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