Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has given the green light for the appointment of administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
This decision came less than 24 hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt issued a restraining order against him, barring any such appointments.
The court order, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Adam Muhammed, followed a lawsuit filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by activist Courage Msirimovu.
The case, numbered FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, challenged the authority of the Sole Administrator to make such appointments while the legal proceedings were ongoing.
Despite the legal challenge, Vice Admiral Ibas proceeded with the appointments, which were made official in a Special Government Announcement issued early Wednesday morning.
The announcement, signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibibia Worika, confirmed that the appointments take immediate effect, although the names of the new appointees were not disclosed.
In addition to the new local government appointments, Ibas also sanctioned the reconstitution of several boards of state agencies, commissions, and parastatals, which had been suspended earlier.
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The sweeping administrative changes, according to the announcement, took effect from Monday, April 7, 2025.
This development follows a series of recent decisions by the Sole Administrator, including the suspension of all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state last week.
Additionally, Ibas ordered the cancellation of all pending procurement and tender processes within the MDAs, citing the absence of an appropriation law and a recent Supreme Court judgment as key reasons for the cancellation.
The cancellation requires immediate refunds to contractors involved in these projects.
The controversy surrounding the appointments and administrative changes has sparked reactions across the state, with many keenly watching whether the legal tussle will continue to impact governance in Rivers State.
The developments signal a significant shift in the state’s political landscape as Ibas seeks to assert control, despite facing legal opposition.