The newly appointed sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired) will be receiving the state’s allocation, the Federal Government has said.
Lateef Fagbemi, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) made the disclosure while fielding questions from State House Correspondents on the happenings in Rivers State.
President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.) as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
The swearing-in took place on Wednesday afternoon following a brief meeting between Tinubu and Ibas at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
President Tinubu appointed the retired naval chief on Tuesday during a nationwide broadcast, where he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. As part of the directive, he also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.) previously served as Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had appointed Ibas as the Rivers’ sole administrator after the declaration of a State of Emergency in the state and suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the House of Assembly.
Fagbemi who described the decision of the president as timely said, funds earmarked for Rivers State from the Federation Account would be release to Ibas in due time.
He said, “And to me, it will be in order for the release of that fund because the event of the extraordinary situation has brought them out of the normal situation of things.”
He also absolved the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike of any wrong doing or involvement in the actions taken by the president concerning Rivers.
