House Committee Meeting: Rivers Progressives Mandate Calls Out Sole Administrator
PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: The Rivers Progressives Mandate has condemned the sudden postponement of the scheduled meeting between Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas Ekwe (rtd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, and the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, describing it as “a bold display of bias, contempt, and vindictiveness against the people of Rivers State.”
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Nmerukini, and made available to news platforms, the group accused Vice Admiral Ibas of disrespecting the intelligence of Rivers people and undermining transparency, justice, and due process.
“Once again, the Sole Administrator has shown his true colours,” the statement read. “The sudden and unceremonious postponement of a critical engagement without cogent reasons is nothing short of an arrogant brush-off. This is not leadership. It is political puppetry at its worst.”
The group lamented that three weeks after assuming office, the Sole Administrator had engaged in what they termed lopsided appointments, questionable alliances, and actions that betray clear bias. They accused him of dodging his first real opportunity to answer legitimate questions about his stewardship.
“Why is he hiding?” the statement queried. “Is it because he has not yet received his full script from those who planted him in office, or is he waiting for clearance from his political paymasters on which version of lies to present?”
The Rivers Progressives Mandate alleged that Vice Admiral Ibas had been actively engaging in private meetings, visiting project sites, and selectively granting audiences — activities they said showed he was familiar with the state’s affairs and therefore had no reason to avoid the Ad-Hoc Committee.
According to the group, the postponement was a calculated delay tactic designed to manipulate the narrative and shield the architects of what they described as an illegality foisted on the state in the past three weeks.
“This whole charade is about control, about returning Rivers State to the grip of a few individuals who have long mistaken public institutions for personal property. The Sole Administrator is merely their pawn, installed to serve their ego and vendetta, not the people,” the statement alleged.
The Rivers Progressives Mandate further accused the administrator of operating with exclusion and vendetta, warning that his actions threaten the peace and progress established by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
By dodging the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, the group said, Vice Admiral Ibas had confirmed their fears that his administration is not geared toward peace, but towards undermining the democratic aspirations of Rivers people.
The statement concluded with a call for vigilance among Rivers citizens to resist any attempt to subvert the will of the people through manipulation and political subterfuge.
