With just four days left before the September 18 deadline for lifting the state of emergency in Rivers State, Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ekwe Ibas (rtd.) has concluded arrangements to host a thanksgiving service.
According to a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, the event will be held at the Ecumenical Centre, Abonnima Wharf Road, Port Harcourt, beginning at 10 a.m. Dignitaries invited include permanent secretaries, local government chairmen, security chiefs, traditional rulers, members of boards and governing councils, and captains of industry, among others. Ibas himself is listed as the special guest of honour.
Although his tenure as sole administrator is nearing its end, Ibas has continued to push through decisive reforms. On Friday, at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt, he inaugurated the newly constituted Rivers State Pensions Board. The board has been tasked with restoring transparency, accountability, and efficiency to the state’s pension system, which has long been plagued by irregularities and delayed payments.
During the ceremony, Ibas expressed deep concern for pensioners, many of whom have endured years of neglect. He stressed that his administration is determined to bring lasting relief to retirees:
> “Today’s event is not just ceremonial. It is a reaffirmation of our government’s commitment to ensuring that those who have labored faithfully in service of our dear state are treated with the dignity, respect, and care they truly deserve,” he declared.
The retired admiral described pensioners as men and women who gave their best years to the growth of Rivers State, lamenting that they had been unfairly abandoned. He charged the new board to perform without excuses, emphasizing that the time for decisive action has come:
> “The board must be a model of good governance. Excuses will not be entertained. Our pensioners have waited long enough, expectations are high, and the time to deliver is now.”
Ibas revealed that the ongoing statewide re-verification exercise had already exposed serious flaws in the old system, noting that the carefully selected board members were chosen to restore trust and ensure prompt processing of entitlements.
Last week, he declared that the mandate handed to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been “sufficiently achieved.” This followed the presentation of the final report of the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
> “Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilize the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.
As the September 18 deadline approaches, Rivers people await President Tinubu’s decision on lifting the emergency rule, six months after it was imposed.
The state of emergency was declared in March 2025 following a deepening political crisis marked by a fierce power struggle within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), pitting Governor Siminalayi Fubara against his predecessor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. A flashpoint in the conflict was the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex in December 2023, which remained unreconstructed more than a year later.
Tensions worsened after 27 lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC. On 28 February 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the defectors should be recognised as legitimate legislators, effectively restoring the Assembly. However, compliance was slow, and the conflict persisted.
Citing the persistent breakdown of constitutional order, delayed compliance with court rulings, and worsening security threats such as pipeline vandalism affecting the Trans-Niger pipeline, President Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to impose emergency rule. The decision suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire House of Assembly, while appointing Vice Admiral Ibas as sole administrator. The judiciary, however, was left intact.
Now, as the clock winds down, expectations are high that the state will soon return to full democratic governance.
