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Friday, March 21, 2025
Rivers State Sole Administrator Ibot-Ete Ibas meets with traditional rulers and sets the tone (intentions) for his administration
I will not condone excuses for any disorder in any community, Ibot-Ete warns traditional rulers!
ICMS, Inc. Reports
by Tom Okure, Ph.D
Meeting Excerpts
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The newly appointed Rivers State Sole Administrator, retired Nigerian Navy Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas CFR, has arrived in Rivers State to resume his duties following Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's suspension of the elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara after declaring a state of emergency on March 18, 2025.
Ibok-Ete Ibas CFR after confirmation and swearing in by President Bola Tinubu
In his official broadcast to the nation on 18 March 2025, President Bola Tinubu, declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended the incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and also all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. During his speech President Tinubu indicated:
โ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐, ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ข ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ๐, ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข ๐๐๐ฎ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ."
The President in the same speech nominated the retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Interim Administrator of the state's affairs noting specifically that Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas would not "๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ. ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐จ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐."
In his first official meeting with some traditional rulers in Rivers State, the new sole administrator made several important remarks during his interaction with the traditional rulers.
Administrator Ibok-Ete Iba's first meeting with Rivers State traditional rulers
He noted that he recognized that the task ahead of maintaining order cannot be achieved in isolation, because traditional institutions are a vital partner in his mission and traditional institutions are the bridge between government and the people and "the custodians of our values and the mediators in times of conflict." He further noted that the wisdom, influence, and leadership of traditional rulers are indispensable in the collective efforts that will be required to de-escalate tensions, foster unity, and rebuild trust amongst the rivers state people.
He warned traditional rulers to shun all acts of partisanship in their speeches or body language and insisted they have to remain a neutral and impartial abita respected by all for their fairness and integrity. Ibok-Ete stated that traditional rulers must not condone any acts of vandalism or any form of illegality, and he indicated that traditional rulers must promote the common good of the river's people and should report all forms of
illegality or abuse to the relevant authorities. He urged traditional rulers to set up local and traditional institutions that promote peace and unity in their respective domains to open up communication lines with their communities to gather information. He urged them to protect the sources of their intelligence in their role in community policing. The new administrator noted that he expects the input of traditional rulers to the state through their councils or other channels he plans to establish. Community policy is one of the key strategies Ibok-Ete stated that he plans to use to restore peace and security in the state.
A traditional ruler welcomes Ibok-Ete as the new administrator of the state
He also emphasized that his administration "would not condone excuses for any disorder in any community." He expects traditional rulers to control their domains to ensure peace and stability prevail. This is because traditional rulers are the first line of defense against lawlessness and their leadership is crucial in maintaining order. Administrator Ibot-Ete further noted that his administration will be open to any useful
suggestions and security intelligence from traditional rulers aimed at improving the way things are done, as traditional rulers' inputs will be invaluable in shaping the administration policies and strategies
He closed his meeting remarks to the traditional rulers by references his statewide broadcast speech the previous day to the state where he noted that "the journey ahead may be challenging but together we can rebuild trust, restore stability and protect the
future of our state" This Ibok-Ete indicated can only be accomplished by putting aside our differences and working as one family united by our love
for River State and our shared desire for progress. Watch the video that follows for a comprehensive view of the new administrator's meeting with Rivers State's traditional rulers.
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Background of Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas
Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, MSc is a retired Nigerian Navy Vice Admiral. Records indicate that he was born on September 27, 1960, in Nko Cross River State, formerly the South Eastern State of Nigeria. In 1966, he started his primary school education at Nko Primary School and completed it at Big Qua Primary School in 1971 in Calabar. He attended the prestigious Hope Waddell Training Institute Calabar from 1972 to 1976 for his secondary education. Between 1977 and 1979, he attended the School of Basic Studies Ogoja before proceeding to further his education in 1979 at the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Rivers State Sole Administrator Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR
His military career began when he enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of 26 Regular Course on June 20, 1979. He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on January 1, 1983. He was the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Nigerian Navy from 2015 to 2021 and has been serving as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State since 18 March 2025, after Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy Ngozi Odu and the entire Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended by President Bola Tinubu after declaring a state of emergency in the state.
All rights reserved by Tom Okure, Ph.D. CEO of Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc. (or ICMS Inc.). ICMS, Inc., is a multifaceted business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New York
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