Rivers Sole Administrator snubs House of Representatives oversight committee

Friday, April 25, 2025 - The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has once again failed to appear before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight, despite being invited for an interactive session.

The committee, inaugurated by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on April 15, 2025, had originally scheduled the meeting for April 17 but later postponed it at Ibas’s request. A new date was set for April 24; however, the administrator failed to attend once again.

The session was expected to address developments in Rivers State since Ibas assumed office. Although he was reportedly in Abuja for the National Economic Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, he did not show up for the committee’s session at the National Assembly.

It remains unclear whether a formal invitation was delivered or acknowledged, as the committee has yet to release any details regarding communication with Ibas.

Following his absence, committee chairman Rep. Julius Ihonvbere and other lawmakers exited Committee Room 301 without briefing the press. 

When approached by journalists on Thursday, Ihonvbere said, “No comment.”

As uncertainty looms, the meeting between the Ad-Hoc Committee and the Rivers State administrator has now been postponed indefinitely.