Rivers: Hope For Reversal Dims As  Sole Administrator Suspends All Political Appointees

By Adesina Soyooye

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, rtd, on Wednesday March 26, 2025, made a clean sweep of Political appointees in the State.

He suspended all Members of the  State Executive Council, Members of Commissions whose appointments are statutory, and Board Members. Gone too are all Special Advisers and Assistants, Heads of Parastatals and Agencies.

Ibas had, 24 hours earlier, appointed a new Secretary to the State Government, accepted the resignation of the Head of Service and appointed a new one. He has  sworn-in the new SSG, and urged him to hit the ground running.

Announcing the suspensions on Wednesday in a statement, the Administrator’s Chief of Staff said he took the action based on the powers granted to him by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a State of Emergency in the crisis-ridden State, appointed a Sole Administrator and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Dr Ngozi Ordu, and Members of the House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.

According to the statement which suspended all the political appointees in the State, it took effect from same Wednesday, March 18.

“This suspension takes effect from Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The affected officers are to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries in their MDAs.

“Where there may be no Permanent Secretary, they are to hand over to the most senior director/head of administration”, said the statement.

With the goings-on, the pressure on the President from many individuals, groups, civil society organizations, Governors of South-South States and more, for a reverse announcement may well be in vain.