Facts have emerged on why President Bola Tinubu summoned the immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to Aso Villa on Wednesday
By Emma Ogbuehi
Facts have emerged on why President Bola Tinubu summoned the immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to Aso Villa on Wednesday. Sources close to the presidency who spoke to our correspondent suggested that the ex-administrator may have been summoned over the unfolding disagreement between him and leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Ibas who served six months as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state, left office on September 17, following the end of the six-month emergency rule, after the President directed the suspended state governor, Sir Sim Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly members to return to office from the previous Thursday.
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On resumption, the House of Assembly, chaired by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had, during its first plenary session, stated that it would investigate the state’s expenditure during the six months of emergency rule.
Resolution of the legislature said the essence was “To explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”
Ibas had however rejected the decision to probe the state’s expenditure over the last few months under him. The cocky position by the former naval chief has attracted many reactions forcing the President to intervene by summoning him to the Villa, our Reporter learned.
It was gathered that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025, under the tenure of the former sole administrator.
Ibas, who arrived at the presidential villa at about 5:50 pm clad in brown native attire, was closely followed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukayede. Earlier, Edun entered the villa but quickly left, only to return with a file in hand, signaling the seriousness of the meeting.
