Emergency Rule: Rivers Sole Administrator, Abas, Assumes Office   ….Assures Peace, Law and Order In Rivers 

The newly appointed Sole Administrator for Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (retd.) yesterday assumed office at the Government House, Port Harcourt, following the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.

President Tinubu had, in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, appointed Ibas as the Sole Administrator to steer governance in Rivers State for the next six months following the suspension of the State Governor, Sir Siminilayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngosi Ordu by the President.

He was later swore in at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday by the President.

Ibas arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa at about 11:25 am yesterday, and was received by top government officials led by the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nweake; the State Police Commissioner, Olugbenga Adepoju, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 16, and other heads of security agencies.

He thereafter inspected a guard of honour mounted by officers of the Nigerian Navy at the airport before proceeding to Government House, Port Harcourt, where he had a closed door meeting with the Head of Service, some Permanent Secretaries, and Service Commanders.

Addressing newsmen in Government House, Port Harcourt shortly after the meeting, yesterday, the Sole Administrator promised to ensure peace and order in the State.

He expressed satisfaction that Port Harcourt appears to be calm in spite of the situation on ground and assured that the city will get back to what it has always been.

He said ” I want to thank you all for what you’ve been doing so far. What I’ve just done is to meet with the Permanent Secretaries and the service commanders to get formal briefing. Port Harcourt is my city, everything appears calm, we just want Port Harcourt to get back to its status.”

Taneh Beemene.