As public discourse on the proprietary or otherwise of the proclamation of a state of emergence in Rivers State continues, AMAECHI OKONKWO writes on the state of affairs in the state, one week after Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas took over as sole administrator.
It is now one week after President Bola Tinubu announced a state of emergency in Rivers State for six months in the first instance. The last seven days have been characterised by the authorities sounding reconciliatory in one breath and in another breadth talking tough. The action of the authorities, in the opinion of a few stakeholders, is akin to blowing hot and cold in the bid to calm all frayed nerves over the protracted Rivers political debacle.
Nonetheless, the mood and attitude of many stakeholders in Rivers so far appear ‘let’s wait and see,’ following the dramatic twist in the change of guard in the architecture of governance in the oil-producing state.
With the announcement of the emergency rule came the suspension of the two major democratic institutions in the state: the executive and legislative arms of government. The elected Governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, were suspended from office.
The President also suspended the state House of Assembly, which, following the Supreme Court judgment, became dominated by the Martin Amaewhula-led 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the main opposition to Governor Fubara in the lingering political crisis in Rivers.
To oversee the process of governance in the state, President Tinubu appointed a retired Vice Admiral, Ibok-Ette Ibas as Sole Administrator. After being sworn in by the President on Wednesday, the 20th indigenous Chief of Naval Staff arrived Port Harcourt, on Thursday to assume office. He started by addressing the people of state via a statewide broadcast on his mandate and his plans to achieve it. He told the people that his appointment was coming at a difficult and consequential moment in history, observing that the political impasse of nearly 2 years in Rivers had “paralysed governance, desecrated democratic institutions, threatened security and undermined economic and social fabrics of the state,” among many other negative economic and social consequences. He assured that as son of Niger Delta, he was fully aware of the weight of the moment, “the expectations of the people and the challenges that lie ahead.
“The uneasy calm that pervades the state is palpable and I feel the weight of families, young and old, businesses that made both huge and little investments in Rivers State, uncertain of what the future holds.” He described as proactive and decisive action, the President’s declaration of a state of emergency and that his subsequent appointment as primarily to ensure stability of livelihoods for citizens and residents, restore peace, security and stability for economic activities to continue to thrive and avert any disruptions to the way of life of the people of Rivers. Vice Admiral Ibas stated, “My mandate is clear, to restore law and order, stabilise the policy and create necessary conditions for the full restoration of democratic institutions and representation. This is not a task for one man alone. Success will depend on the collective efforts of all Rivers people, elders, political leaders, traditional rulers, faith leaders, youths, women, the media and civil society.
“I do not come as a partisan actor nor as a competitor in the struggles that have brought us to this moment, I come as a servant of the state, entrusted with the solemn duty of restoring peace and order so that Rivers state can move forward once again and reclaim its place as the oil and gas capital of Nigeria and I dare say, Africa.” Ibas waved the Olive branch to the people, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or creed to remain law abiding, peaceful and optimistic, urging “let us set aside our differences and work together to rebuild trust, restore stability and protect the future of our children. The Challenges before us depend on unity, not division, on cooperation, not discord, on forward thinking, not backward grievances. The commitment to unity, cooperation and dialogue must be the fulcrum of all engagement, going forward.” He pledged: “Under my leadership, civil liberty and fundamental human rights will be respected and protected. The rule of law will remain sacrosanct,” he restated. He, however, warned that those who seek to sabotage the social and economic stability of the state and national infrastructure, as well as institutions within the state or who attempt to disrupt the peace for selfish and destructive ends would find no tolerance for their actions. “There will be no room for lawlessness, no space for violence and no patience for actions that threaten our collective well being. We will not act arbitrarily but neither will we hesitate to enforce the law when necessary. Let no one be in doubt, we will uphold justice and fairness but we will also ensure that civil order prevails,” Ibas warned.
As it is usual in the country, states and the constituent areas, Rivers has moved on with the usual debates along divergent views. The sole administrator is also proceeding with consolidating his position towards fulfilling his mandate. The response of the people to the declaration of state of emergency has been dominated by outrage and rejection, while there are also many who justify the move as timely and germane.
Several organisations and individuals have come out to query the justification of the emergency rule and especially the suspension of the governor declaring it as unconstitutional. Some of them, including the Nigeria Bar Association NBA have argued that the President acted ultra vires in suspending the governor, saying it was outside his constitutional rights. A lecturer in the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Steve Wodu, took up the sole administrator on his statement saying that contrary to claims, the issues in Rivers have not warranted a declaration of state of emergency. He alleged that the rush into it was part of plan of state capture by politicians within and outside that state. He averred, “It is my strong view that due process was not exhausted before the declaration of the state of emergency. No matter how much I welcome the sole administrator, I feel that there is nothing, no arrangement can supersede the elected government of Rivers State. So, the people of Rivers State have been short-changed and have been subverted completely. If we have any sovereignty at all, that sovereignty has been removed.”
According to the social crusader and Environmental Sociologist, the altercations in Rivers “are simply what we call state capture where a few politicians and their leaders or even a particular person that feels he has the entitlement to control of governance, election process and determine who governs the state, even when that person is out of government. That is what is called state capture. Rivers state has been under state capture for a long time.” But, he offered suggestions on the way forward due to negative effects occasioned by the prolonged tug of war between the belligerent forces. He called for a holistic dialogue among the political actors as a way of ending the crisis. Professor Wodu said: “You cannot solve this problem without mentioning those critical actors. There are critical actors in this matter; people who provoked the crisis in Rivers state are there; we know them; he too knows them. So, he should be able to say, ‘as I’m going to engage with the Honourable Minister, I’m going to engage Governor Fubara, I’m going to engage members of the state House of Assembly. Saying you will consult and hold dialogue, hold dialogue with whom? Hold dialogue with people who have not been part of those that stirred up the crisis. This crisis was deliberate; people stirred it up; people followed it up; people divided themselves among themselves and began to impose their will upon the peoples of Rivers state. There was no division among peoples of Rivers state except these politicians who are actors in state capture and they are not going to give up because the character of state capture is to fight to the end.”
On his part, Wenenda Wali, a political and social analyst, stated that, at the risk of being misunderstood, the state of emergency was necessary. He explained that based on the principles of democracy, there had not been any government in Rivers following the imbroglio that divided the state Assembly, adding that it was only the executive that was functional, a situation he said was unacceptable in a democracy. He blamed Governor Fubara for the escalation of the crisis, saying that following the inability of the governor and the Assembly members to find a common ground to forge ahead, the state of emergency became necessary to stave off the breakdown of law and order.
On the pervasive view of the prevalence of a peaceful atmosphere in the state, Wali queried: “What sort of peace? Are you waiting to see a full-blown street confrontation?” He observed that a majority of the people are being emotional about the issues. “The reality is that there is no government in Rivers because the Assembly was not ready to accept the letter the governor sent on his plan to represent the 2025 state budget because they had made up their minds to impeach him. He added that following the intrigues of the assembly trying to impeach the governor, while tried to evade the attempt, there was clearly no government in the state. “People are waiting until people start fighting and killing themselves, that is when they will agree that there was no government? No! There was no government in Rivers State,” he claimed.
However, as the arguments rage on the propriety or otherwise of the state of emergency, the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, has continued in several steps to prove that he is in charge. Among some of the things he has done so far was holding several consultative meetings with heads of security agencies in the state, traditional rulers and heads of the local government administration who are currently in charge of the 23 local government areas. In one of such meetings, he announced that the Federal Government had released about N400 billion withheld allocation to the third tier of government, directing immediate commencement of the payment of the February salaries of workers at the local government. He also inspected the Assembly, which is under reconstruction after it was demolished, following a controversial fire that gutted part of the complex in November 2023. The administrator visited the complex on Saturday and charged the contractor handling the project to speed up work and deliver it as mutually agreed. Vice Admiral Ibas(retd), accompanied by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, was conducted round the site by the General Manager of MCC, Engineer Omaka Oko. The administrator explained that in the last two days of assumption of duties, he noticed a missing pillar in the state governance structure and was determined to ensure that there was a place for effective legislative activities after six months.
He said: “I had been at the executive arm of the state governance structure and one of the pillars that is missing for now is the legislature and for them to function effectively, they also need a place to work from. Perhaps, I am yet to be sure that work is going on as expected, so that by the end of the six months, this place will be ready for those who need to use it. I think basically that is what it is. They (contractor) have a schedule and they have timelines that I believe they will like to adhere to. I think the State has done its own bit by providing the necessary funds, I was brief. So the onus is on them to make sure that they keep to the terms.”
The administrator was to also meet with civil servants on Monday at the Rivers state secretariat but the meeting could not hold for inexplicable reasons. However, on Tuesday morning, the news about the resignation of the Head of Service, Dr George Nwaeke was made public. A statement, which was signed by Chief of Staff of the administrator, read that the sole administrator was saddened to announce the resignation of the Head of Service, Rivers State, Dr. Nwaeke. “His Excellency, the Administrator appreciates the immense contributions he has shown this administration in the short period he served and wishes him well in his future endeavors. In the interim, Dr Mrs Iyingi Brown, Permanent Secretary Welfare, Office of the Head of Service, has been appointed in acting capacity until a new Head of Service is appointed. While congratulating her on her appointment, Vice Admiral Ibas assured the people of Rivers of his commitment to neutrality, peace and stability. Also announced on Tuesday morning was the appointment of Professor Ibibia Lucky Worika as the new Secretary to the State Government SSG. The letter dated Monday, March 24, and issued from the office of the administrator said the appointment of the SSG followed careful consideration of his credentials, extensive experience, and performance during rigorous selection process. “Professor Worika’s distinguished career spans academia, international legal practice, and high-level policy advisory roles, making him uniquely qualified to support the Administrator in the onerous task of achieving Mr President’s mandate. His appointment takes immediate effect. Professor Worika’s appointment reflects the Administrator’s commitment to harnessing the great human capital of the Rivers’ people to work with him to achieve the much-needed Peace, Stability and Security,” the statement added. Professor Worika, replaced Dr Tammy Danagogo, a long-standing SSG for Rivers dating back several years in from the Nyesom Wike’s administration as governor of Rivers state.
Meanwhile, a lot of people in the state are waiting to see how the interim administration handles other critical state matters in the coming days. This is against the backdrop of the decision of the National Assembly that the sole administrator should report to it concerning critical projects. The position of the legislature is at variance with the broadcast of President Tinubu that the interim administration in Rivers should report to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
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