Stakeholders have charged former Rivers State Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, to heed the public’s call for a probe and accountability over his stewardship in the six months he oversaw the affairs of the state.
Speakers at an online conversation organised by the NPO Reports, in conjunction with Iwadi Development Initiative, yesterday said the spending of the N254.37 billion that accrued from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025 needs to be accounted for.
NPO Reports revealed that Ibas had, last week, stepped down from his position after the expiration of the emergency rule.
President Bola Tinubu had declared an end to the emergency rule in the state, reinstating Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the state Assembly.
Recall that the President had, on March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers, with Fubara, his cabinet, and the state Assembly lawmakers suspended for six months over a lingering political crisis in the state.
In Fubara’s stead, Tinubu appointed Ibas as the Sole Administrator. A Supreme Court ruling had ordered the cessation of federal allocation to the state over the political impasse.
Ibas’ assumption of office, however, saw the order being lifted as funds were allocated to him to run the state.
According to reports, the fund was derived largely from oil revenue through the 13 per cent derivation, which accounted for N133.24 billion, more than half of the total allocation.
With Fubara’s return last week Friday, calls have since been made for the probe of Ibas on how the allocation was spent.
Deliberating on the state of affairs in Rivers with Fubara’s return in X Space hosted yesterday by NPO Reports, Muyiwa Adeyemi, a former Politics Editor of The Guardian Newspaper, and the Chairman of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Rivers State Council, Paul Bazia, reiterated the call for the probe.
Adeyemi, in his submission, charged the National Assembly to demand a comprehensive account from Ibas and make it public.
“When we mention probe, some people might think we want to be hostile. All the proceeds and what you’ve done with them ought to be accounted for.”
On his part, Bazia maintained that Ibas’ submission to the probe will also help him clear his name of speculations on how he spent the state funds.
“For the purpose of accountability, you need to show the people, “I received XYZ amount, this is what I spent,” he said.
