President Bola Tinubu has invited the immediate past Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ibas, who arrived at Aso Villa around 5:50 p.m. dressed in brown native attire, was accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, as well as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukayede.
Notably, Edun had earlier been sighted entering the Villa but left briefly, only to return carrying a file, underscoring the weight and urgency of the meeting.
Ibas administered Rivers State for six months under emergency rule until September 17, when his tenure ended. This followed President Tinubu’s directive for the suspended state governor, Sir Sim Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly to resume their constitutional duties.
On resumption, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved to launch a probe into the state’s financial activities during the six months of emergency governance. The lawmakers emphasized their intention “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.”
However, Ibas has openly opposed the Assembly’s plan to investigate expenditures made during his administration.
Available records indicate that Rivers State received no less than N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, while Ibas was the sole administrator.
–
