The immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has rejected moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly to investigate the state’s finances during his six-month tenure under emergency rule, insisting that the lawmakers lack the constitutional authority to probe him.
Ibas, who left office on September 17, 2025, after President Bola Tinubu lifted emergency rule in the oil-rich state, said any probe targeting his administration would amount to probing the President and the National Assembly that appointed and supervised him.
The Rivers Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had during its first plenary after resumption announced plans to probe expenditures during the emergency rule. Lawmakers resolved to “explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”
Findings show Rivers State received at least ₦254.37bn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025 under Ibas.
Breakdowns reveal that the state received: ₦44.66bn in March; ₦44.42bn in April; ₦42.80bn in May; ₦42.30bn in June; ₦38.42bn in July and ₦41.76bn in August.
This brings total net allocations to ₦254.37bn, averaging ₦42.40bn monthly. If September follows the same trend, Rivers’ inflows could approach ₦297bn in seven months.
Over 52% of Rivers’ receipts (₦133.24bn) came from the 13% oil derivation, underscoring the state’s reliance on volatile oil-linked revenue. The state also lost ₦26.31bn to foreign loan deductions, while VAT contributed ₦107.78bn, or 42.4% of FAAC inflows.
Despite the huge allocations, Rivers has yet to publish its 2025 Budget Implementation Report, leaving residents in the dark about how funds were spent on capital projects, salaries, or pensions.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Rivers State have demanded a full investigation into Ibas’ financial management.
Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, Enefaa Georgewill, described the administrator’s tenure as illegal, alleging possible mismanagement of state funds.
Georgewill said: “We suspect corruption. Almost all major projects, including the Assembly Complex, are stalled despite huge inflows. We will call on the governor and regulatory agencies to investigate.”
Similarly, Emma Obe of the Civil Liberties Organisation argued that the emergency administration bypassed constitutional procedures, including budget hearings, thereby eroding transparency.
Read also:
- Rivers assembly resolves to probe state finances under Ibas
- Post mortem on Ibas 6 month sojourn in Rivers
- Shameful as Ibas’ aides protest unpaid entitlements at Govt. House
“There is no government without accountability. Whoever spends public money without accounting for it will pay for it, if not today, sometime to come,” Obe warned.
But reacting through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubu, Ibas dismissed the lawmakers’ planned probe as a “fool’s errand.”
He argued that since the Assembly did not appoint him, it had no authority to investigate his actions, noting that he acted strictly on behalf of the President and was supervised by the National Assembly.
“When you decide to probe the administrator, you’re invariably saying you will be probing the President and the National Assembly,” Ibas maintained.
Meanwhile, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has resumed duties after six months of suspension, urging Rivers people to continue praying for peace and unity.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service in his hometown, Opobo, Fubara thanked residents for their fasting and intercession during the crisis, stressing that peace remains essential for development.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Rivers people, promising to rededicate his administration to inclusive governance.
