The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), has issued a sweeping directive demanding detailed financial and operational reports from all 23 local government councils—a move many see as a calculated attempt to tighten federal control over the state’s resources.
FEDERAL CONTROL INTENSIFIES: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS UNDER SCRUTINY
A leaked government memo has revealed that the directive was issued through the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Dame Dr. Itong Awani. The order requires all Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to submit their reports by Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
The reports must include:
- An overview of council operations
- Staffing details
- Revenue sources
- Ongoing and completed projects over the past two years
- Financial challenges
The leaked memo, titled “SUBMISSION OF REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF YOUR COUNCILS,” makes it clear that these reports are to be submitted directly to the Sole Administrator’s office for “further necessary action.”
“His Excellency, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has directed that all Heads of Local Government Administration should submit the Report of their Councils to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs,” the memo states.
Local government officials have been instructed to treat the directive as urgent and adhere strictly to the submission deadline.
THE POWER STRUGGLE BEHIND THE ORDER: A STATE IN TURMOIL
Rivers State has been a hotbed of political conflict, particularly between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former political godfather, ex-Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
What began as a struggle for control over state resources and appointments quickly escalated into a full-blown crisis, culminating in an attempted removal of Fubara by Wike’s loyalists in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Despite a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in late 2023, tensions remained high. In February 2025, the crisis reached its peak when the federal government declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing security concerns.
This controversial declaration allowed Tinubu to impose a Sole Administrator, a move widely criticized as a federal power grab aimed at sidelining Fubara and controlling Rivers’ vast oil wealth.
WHAT’S AT STAKE? POLITICAL CONTROL OR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY?
With Rivers State being one of Nigeria’s most economically vital regions, political analysts believe this latest directive is less about financial transparency and more about federal dominance.
“This is not about governance—it’s about control. The federal government wants full oversight of Rivers’ finances, particularly its oil revenue,” a political observer noted.
As local government officials scramble to compile their reports, the bigger question looms: Is this a genuine effort to enforce accountability, or a calculated strategy to consolidate federal power over Rivers State’s economy?
With tensions running high, the next moves by the Sole Administrator, the state government, and local leaders could determine whether this directive is just bureaucratic oversight—or the beginning of an even deeper political showdown.
