Ibok-Ete Ibas, the immediate-past sole administrator of Rivers State, has stated that the state House of Assembly lacks the power to probe him.
Diaspora Digital Media reported that upon resumption from the six-month suspension imposed on the executive and legislative arms of the state by President Bola Tinubu, the lawmakers resolved to probe the state’s expenditure under Mr Ibas.
The assembly speaker, Martin Amaewhule, disclosed this at the end of its first plenary on Thursday.
But reacting to the House resolution through his spokesman, Hector Igbikiowubu, the retired Vice Admiral said he wasn’t answerable to them.
While speaking to the Punch Newspaper on Sunday, Mr Igbikiowubu said the former sole administrator was appointed by the President with the approval of the National Assembly.
“When you say they were going to probe the tenure of the administrator, was it the assembly that appointed the administrator?
“You see, the point to note is that commentary is free. You can’t stop people from running commentary. The House of Assembly has been on break for a very long time, and you will appreciate that they have not been able to discharge their functions for such a long time.
“Now that they have resumed, they have to make an effort to carry out their functions. So, it will seem their right to probe what has gone wrong in the state. Nobody can stop the lawmakers from carrying out a probe of what they perceive to be their functions within the state.
“But like I asked earlier, were they the ones that appointed the administrator? So, if you didn’t appoint the administrator, it goes to reason that you have certain limitations. When you also realise that the administrator was appointed by the President, it goes without reason that the administrator acted for and on behalf of the President
“When you also reason that the administrator was supervised by the National Assembly, it goes without reason that when you decide to probe the administrator, you’re invariably saying that you will be probing the administrator and the National Assembly
“So, I wish them good luck with their plan and their probe. But you and I know that such an enterprise amounts to a fool’s errand,” Mr Igbikiowubu said.