Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (rtd), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State has warned troublemakers in the state to reconsider any action that would be inimical to the peace, progress and economic stability of the state.

Ibas said that his acceptance to become the administrator of Rivers state was not born out of personal ambition but a commitment to bring peace, stability and prosperity to Nigeria as a whole and Rivers state in particular.

“I have dedicated my life to the service of our great nation. First, as a member of our Armed Forces where I had the honor and privilege of serving as the 20th indigenous chief of the naval staff and more recently as Nigerian commissioner to the Republic of Ghana. After what I believe to be my retirement from public service, duty has called again. I have answered not for personal ambition but out of abiding commitment to bring peace, stability and prosperity of Nigeria as a whole and more specifically, Rivers state”.

The Sole Administrator acknowledged that his appointment comes at the difficult time in history, saying that “the political impasse nearly two years in Rivers state has paralyzed governance, desecrated democratic institutions, threatened security and undermined economic and social fabric of the state. It has deepened division among the people and cast a show of uncertainty over the future. These are realities we cannot afford to ignore”.

In his inaugural state broadcast in Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday, Ibas said “as a son of the Niger Delta, I am one of you and I recognize the weight of this moment, expectation of the people and the challenges that lie ahead. The uneasy calm that pervades the state is palpable and I feel the weight of families, young and old, businesses are uncertain what the future holds”.

He said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proactive and decisive actions to declare a state of emergency and his subsequent appointment was primarily to ensure stability of livelihood for citizens and residents, restore peace, security and stability for economic activities to continue to thrive and avert any destruction to the way of life of the people of Rivers state.

“My mandate is clear, to restore law and order, stabilize the polity and to create the necessary condition for the full restoration of democratic institutions and representation. This is not a task for one man alone. Success will depend on the collective effort of all Rivers people: elders, political leaders, traditional rulers, youths, women, the media and civil society”.

Ibas assured that he is not in the state “as a partisan actor nor as a competitor in the struggle that I have brought us to this moment. I come as a servant of the state entrusted with the solemn duty of restoring peace and order so that Rivers state can move forward once again and reclaim its rightful place as the oil and gas capital of Nigeria and I dare say, Africa”.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/rivers-sole-administrator-reads-riot-act-to-troublemakers/