The Federal Government on Wednesday said that the allocation for Rivers State will be released to the Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd).
The government also said President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State was timely and meant to avert an implosion in the state.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the presidential Villa, Abuja.
This is as it has said that the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has no role in the political crisis in Rivers State that culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency.
While fielding questions on whether the Federal Government would release the allocation from the federation account to the state in view of the latest development, the Minister said if the administrator requests for it, it will be released to him.
“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 justified the decision of the President to declare a state of emergency in the state.
According to him, “We have about two years into the administration in the state.
“Now, when do you think he (President Tinubu) should have come in? Is it when everything has been destroyed? I don’t think so.
“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given the opportunity to all the parties involved, to make amends. Before then, he had to assemble them, he had tried to mediate,” he stated.
President Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of the directive, the President also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu announced, “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025 and I so do.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function by their constitutional mandate.”
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