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Posted By Admin On August 21st, 2025

Amid the ongoing emergency rule in Rivers State, a civic group, the National Good Governance Advocates, NGGA, has said the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) rescued the state from collapse by restoring stability, security and public confidence.

In a report presented on Thursday, NGGA also noted that the sole administrator’s transformative leadership and meticulous stewardship of resources has contributed to development of the state.

The report noted that Rivers State was ungovernable and on the brink of full blown violence before Ibas’ appointment on March 18, 2025, following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency.

National President of Ngga, Dr. Abiodun Israel, while presenting the report, noted that the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara’s administration plunged the state into chaos through what it described as brazen abuse of constitutional norms, particularly in his attempt to declare the seats of 27 elected lawmakers vacant over political differences.

The civic group noted that it took President Tinubu’s courageous decision to restore normalcy in the oil rich state.

“The collapse of democratic institutions had become glaring laying bare the capriciousness with which the instruments of power had been wielded.

“This was compounded by resurgent militancy and pipeline explosions that threatened Nigeria’s oil-driven economy, creating a dagger aimed at the economic heart of Nigeria,” the group said.

NGGA, while lauding Tinubu’s intervention in the political crisis, stressed that Rivers has undergone a transformation under Ibas’s leadership.

“The pervasive climate of fear that once haunted the streets of Port Harcourt, the markets of Bori, the creeks of Bonny, and the oilfields of Ogoni has been replaced by a resurgent atmosphere of peace and assurance.

“Within a week of his administration, militancy was subdued, pipeline explosions ceased, and oil production stabilized, averting a national economic crisis.

“In less than two weeks into his administration, markets had begun to hum with activity; businesses awakened from forced dormancy; and residents walked streets with that long-absent sense of safety,” the NGGA report said.

Highlighting Ibas’ impact on governance and infrastructure, NGGA commended the sole administrator’s commitment to democratic restoration, noting his release of funds to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the August 30, 2025, local government elections.

“His infrastructural projects include the reconstruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and the completion of the Mother and Child Hospital, integrated into the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital network,” the group added.

NGGA pointed to the sole administrator’s insistence on transparency in the execution of the N150 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road dualization project, stating, “His insistence on transparency and delivery has set a new standard for accountability in Rivers State governance, and we see this as an exemplar of stewardship, not self-interest.”

The civic group, in the same vein, dismissed allegations of contract inflation and treasury looting against Ibas.

The report added, “The allegations accusing Admiral Ibas of orchestrating a fraudulent inflation of contracts amounting to nearly half a trillion naira are nothing short of manufactured stories from the laboratory of political propaganda,” NGGA said, alleging that Fubara was behind the allegations.

NGGA accused Fubara of sponsoring a campaign to discredit Ibas and destabilise Rivers ahead of his potential return.

The civic group warned that Fubara’s penchant for propaganda will once again plunge Rivers into political unrest if this goes unchecked.

Looking forward, the NGGA urged continued reforms, including the completion of the State House of Assembly reconstruction and the strengthening of security through community policing.

“Admiral Ibas has laid the foundation; it is the duty of all stakeholders to safeguard and build upon it,” NGGA stressed, calling on President Tinubu to closely monitor Fubara’s conduct when he returns to office.

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2025/08/21/emergency-rule-sole-administrator-lbas-rescued-rivers-from-collapse-ngga/