Group score Rivers State administrator, Ibas High On Critical Infrastructure, Civil Service Reforms

By Goldmark Pentho Dansu  The National Good Governance Advocates (NGGA) has hailed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrato...

By Goldmark Pentho Dansu 

The National Good Governance Advocates (NGGA) has hailed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State on the  provision of critical infrastructures and civil service reforms in the state.

They also lauded his transformative leadership and meticulous stewardship of resources, which have driven unprecedented development in the state.

In its detailed report made public at a press conference in Abuja, the NGGA celebrated Ibas for rescuing Rivers from the brink of collapse and restoring stability, security, and public confidence.

The report paints a grim picture of Rivers before Ibas’ appointment on March 18, 2025, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency.

In his address, national president, Dr. Abiodun Israel, recounts how Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration plunged the state into chaos through “brazen abuse of constitutional norms,” including his unlawful attempt to declare the seats of 27 elected lawmakers vacant over political differences.

The NGGA noted, “The collapse of democratic institutions had become glaring… laying bare the capriciousness with which the instruments of power had been wielded.

"This was compounded by resurgent militancy and pipeline explosions that threatened Nigeria’s oil-driven economy, creating a dagger aimed at the economic heart of Nigeria.”

Under Ibas’s leadership, however, the group said Rivers has undergone a remarkable transformation.

The NGGA’s report states, “The pervasive climate of fear that once haunted the streets of Port Harcourt, the markets of Bori, the creeks of Bonny, and the oilfields of Ogoni has been replaced by a resurgent atmosphere of peace and assurance.

”Within a week of his administration, militancy was subdued, pipeline explosions ceased, and oil production stabilized, averting a national economic crisis."

The report further highlights that “in less than two weeks into his administration, markets had begun to hum with activity; businesses awakened from forced dormancy; and residents walked streets with that long-absent sense of safety." 

According to the group, Ibas’ achievements extend to governance and infrastructure. The NGGA commended his commitment to democratic restoration, noting his release of funds to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission for the August 30, 2025, local government elections.

"His infrastructural projects include the reconstruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and the completion of the Mother and Child Hospital, integrated into the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital network," the group added. 

The report singles out his oversight of the ₦150 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road dualization project, stating, “His insistence on transparency and delivery has set a new standard for accountability in Rivers State governance, and we see this as an exemplar of stewardship, not self-interest.”

The NGGA fiercely rebutted allegations of contract inflation and treasury looting against Ibas, calling them “fabricated fiction” orchestrated by Fubara and his allies.

The report declares, “The allegations… accusing Admiral Ibas of orchestrating a fraudulent inflation of contracts amounting to nearly half a trillion naira… are nothing short of manufactured stories from the laboratory of political propaganda.”

It accuses Fubara of sponsoring a “shameful publication, devoid of substantiation” to discredit Ibas and destabilise Rivers ahead of his potential return, warning that “his penchant for propaganda will once again plunge Rivers into political unrest if this goes unchecked.”

Looking forward, the NGGA urged continued reforms, including the completion of the State House of Assembly reconstruction and the strengthening of security through community policing.

The report emphasises, “Admiral Ibas has laid the foundation; it is the duty of all stakeholders to safeguard and build upon it.”

It called on President Tinubu to closely monitor Fubara’s conduct and urged contractors like Julius Berger, MCC, and Craneburg to publicly refute the false claims.

The NGGA concluded by thanking President Tinubu for his timely intervention and praising Ibas’s disciplined leadership, stating, “Let Admiral Ibas not merely be remembered for stabilising a state under emergency, but for designing the foundational stones for its peaceful democratic rebirth.”