Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State, has dismissed the Rivers State House of Assembly’s plan to investigate government spending during his six-month tenure as “a fool’s errand.”
The probe was launched soon after the emergency rule ended on September 17, 2025, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers to resume office.
The Rivers Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, announced plans to scrutinize spending from the consolidated revenue fund, focusing on contract awards and other expenditures throughout the emergency period.
Rivers State received approximately ₦254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, with the 13 percent oil derivation being the largest single source of income.
Responding to the probe, Ibas, through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubu, argued that since he was appointed by President Tinubu and supervised by the National Assembly, the state assembly lacks the authority to investigate his administration.
Igbikiowubu asserted that the lawmakers’ probe indirectly targets the President and National Assembly, emphasizing that the Assembly did not appoint Ibas and therefore has inherent limitations.
He characterized the investigation effort as an overreach and wished the lawmakers “good luck,” reaffirming that the probe is destined to be unproductive.
The clash reflects ongoing tensions in Rivers politics after a protracted crisis between Governor Fubara and former Governor and current Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, which prompted the six-month emergency rule and appointment of Ibas as administrator.
Civil society groups and opposition parties have also called for transparency and accountability regarding the state’s finances during the emergency period.