The House of Representatives has directed the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to report to the National Assembly for legislative approvals on all administrative actions taken during the ongoing state of emergency.
Speaker of the House, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, gave the charge during the inauguration of a 21-member oversight committee tasked with monitoring Ibas’ activities. He emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, and strict adherence to constitutional provisions.
This move follows the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the dissolution of the state’s House of Assembly.
Speaker Abbas reminded the committee of past precedents in Plateau (2004), Ekiti (2006), and Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (2013), where the National Assembly intervened to uphold governance during similar crises. He stressed that the legislature has the constitutional duty to step in when elected state assemblies are unable to function.
He further stated that the caretaker administration in Rivers should remain focused on law and order while ensuring essential government functions continue until democracy is fully restored.
“The administrator must report to the National Assembly regularly to ensure the public interest is safeguarded,” Abbas said. “The current emergency measures are a necessary step toward returning Rivers State to full democratic governance.”
He also praised President Tinubu’s decisive action, calling it a patriotic move aimed at restoring peace, order, and stability in the state.
