By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on the State of Emergency in Rivers State on Friday.
This comes after he failed to appear before the lawmakers on two consecutive occasions.
During the meeting held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Ibas said that though Rivers is relatively calm, the situation in the state is still fragile. He attributed his absence to “the weighty and urgent demands of stabilizing governance in a state under a declared emergency”. Ibas added that he always held the National Assembly in the highest regard.
“I deeply regret my inability to attend earlier engagements with this esteemed committee, as you rightly said. Today is exactly 10 days after the first invitation, and in between we’ve had four days that were off calendar as public holidays plus the weekends inclusive,” Ibas stated.
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The administrator requested the understanding and indulgence of lawmakers to grant him additional time to adequately prepare and present a comprehensive and constructive briefing on the situation in the state. “Given the complexities and sensitivities surrounding the current transitional period in River State, it is important that any engagement with this committee is done with the depth, accuracy, and clarity it rightfully deserves.”
Ibas reiterated his commitment to cooperating with the committee and ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support the committee’s important work. “I remain fully committed to cooperating with the committee and to ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support your important work,” he added.
Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said the National Assembly has the mandate to legitimize and oversee the state of emergency declared in Rivers State. He reminded Ibas that the approval of the National Assembly is a constitutional requirement for the emergency declaration to take effect, citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
Ihonvbere used the opportunity to clarify the committee’s efforts to engage with the administrator from the onset of the crisis. He noted that despite multiple attempts, including written correspondence, there were delays in securing the administrator’s appearance.
The chairman encouraged the administrator to feel at ease, stressing that the committee members had been carefully selected to ensure broad representation across geopolitical zones and legislative experience.
In a statement after the meeting, Ihonvbere said the committee members accepted the apology of the sole administrator. He said the committee resolved to proceed with the rescheduled engagement on a date and time to be announced in due course.