Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd) has assumed office as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. He was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to oversee an emergency rule for a first period of six months.
Though the declaration of the President was bashed by court of public opinion, it satisfied the required constitutional procedures for its enforceability against all odds following its confirmation by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Undoubtedly, Ibas has a huge task on his hands. He came in the midst of political turmoil that enveloped the state for about two years. The political disagreement and its multiplicity of legal actions unsettled the state and cast air of foreboding and uncertainties in Rivers.
Properties including democratic institutions like the House of Assembly complex were bombed. Party secretaries especially the ones belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the All Peoples Party (APP) were attacked with dynamites at some point. The chambers of the House of Assembly and the adjoining auditorium were mauled down.
Local Government headquarters were set ablaze by angry mobs. People died including personnel of security agencies. Though the suspended governor tried to continue with governance as seen in his completion and inauguration of projects, the political environment continued to be toxic.
Matters came to a head when the governor and the House of Assembly started playing hide and seek with the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgement. The atmosphere was charged and the signs of looming violence were ominous. The House impeached the governor by serving him a notice of misconduct. The lawmakers immediately commenced a complex constitutional procedure of removing the governor.
The 2025 Appropriation Bill was in limbo as the lawmakers embarked on the long process of trying to remove the governor amidst the growing tension and a subsisting judgement seizing the state allocation.
It became obvious that the state might not have its revenue allocations in the foreseeable future, which could trigger rising frustration and possible breakdown of law and order. Non-state actors brandished cache of arms and ammunition threatening to unleash violence on Rivers and to attack oil installations.
One of the militant groups issued a quit notice to all non-indigenes residing in Port Harcourt. Within hours after the governor was impeached following the notice of misconducts, inferno engulfed some oil platforms. There was fear in the state. To avert the looming anarchy and bloodshed, it became absolutely necessary for President Tinubu to wield the big stick.
In fact, the first task before Ibas is to lay a foundation for a political reconciliation between the two warring parties, the House of Assembly and the governor. Ibas must immediately begin to hold various stakeholders’ meeting to address all their concerns.
He must go beyond hold his maiden broadcast to holding physical interactive meetings with stakeholders especially the major ethnic nationalities in the state. Ibas should separately meet the two factional groups of Ijaw ethnic nationality, those supporting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike and others backing Fubara. After such separate meetings the sole Administrator is expected to convene a broader gathering of the entire Ijaw stakeholders to forge the desired unity.
A former President, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, said Ibas should be concerned about restoring the unity battered by the political crisis. He observed that the political disagreement led to ethnic disharmony in the state as some persons were advancing ethnic narratives of the crisis.
“This was not an ethnic war. It was simply a political disagreement of a father and a son. Some were attributing it to Ikwerre against the Ijaw. But they failed to realize that there are many Ijaw people supporting and working for Minister Wike and same for Fubara. We have many Ikwerre people working for Fubara too.
“Therefore, those exploring the Ijaw versus Ikwerre narrative did a significant damage to the ethnic harmony in the state. They created level of ethnic disunity and this is concerning. Therefore, the new Sole Administrator should first and foremost close the gap.
The Ijaw is bruised already and that is why Ibas must engage them to reassure them of his mission in sincerity.”
Eradiri said Ibas must also engage the various youth groups in the state to calm their frayed nerves and seek their support for the peace and progress of the state.
“Ibas should convene a youth summit involving stakeholders from various ethnic nationalities in the state and engage them in the need for peace and protection of critical government assets in the state. He must constantly engage them to give them a sense of belonging and make them part of the process”, he said.
Eradiri, who was a former Commissioner for Youths in Bayelsa and later Commissioner for Environment, the traditional rulers from various ethnic nationalities and women groups must have constant engagements with Ibas.
“The sole Administrator must get busy with serious sincere engagements of these stakeholders. It is not an easy task but with commitment and sincerity of purpose, Ibas will achieve the desired results”.
Eradiri insisted that the stakeholders’ engagements will pave the way for political negotiations that will bring the two warring parties to the table for discussions and harmonization. He said to avoid mutual suspicion, Ibas must be impartial, unbiased and must avoid surrounding himself with members of any of the political camps.
He reminded Rivers people that the whole essence of the emergency rule is to halt the escalating acrimonious bring about political stability.
