The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has issued a directive to all Heads of Local Government Administration to submit comprehensive reports on the status of their councils to the Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
The directive was communicated through an official memo signed by Dr. Itong Awani, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, and addressed to all local government heads across the state.
“I am also to inform you that all submissions using the format listed below should reach the office of the undersigned on or before Wednesday, 26th March 2025, for onward transmission to the office of the Sole Administrator, Government House, Port Harcourt, for further necessary action,” the memo read.
Vice Admiral Ibas was appointed last week by President Bola Tinubu following the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State. The emergency declaration came amid rising political tensions and security threats.
In his national address last Tuesday, President Tinubu cited persistent political instability, breaches of the constitution, and threats to public order as reasons for suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly.
The deepening political crisis in the state is largely attributed to a power tussle between suspended Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
As the newly appointed Sole Administrator begins work to stabilize governance, the directive to local government heads marks one of the first administrative steps toward assessing and restructuring local governance across Rivers State.
