The House of Representatives has warned the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.), that he has no legal right to make laws or prepare a budget for the state.
This warning came after Ibas announced plans to create a new budget following the declaration of a state of emergency in the state last month.
The Deputy Spokesman of the House, Philip Agbese, explained during a recent interview that the administrator’s role does not include legislative duties.
He said the House is already taking steps to monitor Ibas’s activities and ensure the people of Rivers State are properly represented.
According to him, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, is working with other lawmakers to set up a committee that will handle this.
Agbese also revealed that the House has informed President Bola Tinubu about their position on Ibas’s appointment.
He noted that if the administrator goes beyond his assigned duties, the House may take firm action, including the option of passing a vote of no confidence to uphold legal processes.
This development comes after a political crisis in Rivers State led to a breakdown in the relationship between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state’s House of Assembly.
In response to the unrest, President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency in March, suspending both the governor and the Assembly.
Vice Admiral Ibas was appointed as Sole Administrator shortly after, and last week, he disclosed plans to prepare a fresh budget.
He made the announcement during a meeting with members of the Rivers National Assembly caucus, where he spoke about his intentions to invest in areas like education, healthcare, infrastructure, and job creation.
Ibas mentioned that the new budget would be fast-tracked to meet urgent needs and would focus on improving the state’s economy through investments in sectors like agriculture and technology.
He also assured that the budget would be open and focused on what the people need.
Despite his plans, the House insisted that lawmaking and budgeting remain duties of elected lawmakers, not an appointed administrator.
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