The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has once again failed to honour an invitation to appear before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight, despite being scheduled for an interactive session.
The committee, set up by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, was inaugurated on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, with the purpose of engaging stakeholders and reviewing developments in Rivers State since the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas.
Originally scheduled for Thursday, April 17, 2025, the interactive session had been postponed following a request by Ibas. The meeting was subsequently rescheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025. However, the administrator failed to attend once more.
Despite reports that Vice Admiral Ibas was present in Abuja for the National Economic Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa, he was absent from the House committee session. No explanation was provided by either the administrator or the committee regarding his failure to appear.
It also remains uncertain whether a formal invitation letter was delivered to, or acknowledged by, the Rivers State Sole Administrator, as the committee has not disclosed any details on the issue of official communication.
In a brief and silent response to inquiries from journalists after the session, Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, simply stated, “No comment.” Ihonvbere and other lawmakers were seen exiting Committee Room 301 of the House of Representatives Complex without offering further remarks or clarification.
As a result of Ibas’s continued absence, the anticipated meeting between the Ad-Hoc Committee and the Rivers State administrator has now been postponed indefinitely.
