Emergency Rule: Ibas rejects Assembly probe of spending, tags it “fool’s errand”
Former Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has rebuffed sharply to effort the Rivers State House of Assembly to probe government spending during the just elapsed six-month emergency rule.
Ibas, who without mincing words described the exercise as a “fool’s errand”,
insisted that the Assembly lacked the authority to investigate his stewardship since his appointment was not instigated by the latter, nor did it supervise his tenure.
The handover was following the reinstatement of Fubara alongside other elected officials.
The Assembly, presided over by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had during its first plenary after resumption resolved to examine expenditure from the consolidated revenue fund, contract awards, and other spending carried out under Ibas’ administration.
According to records as disclosed by the House, Rivers State received about N254.37 billion in federal allocations between March and August, with more than half of that sum coming from the 13 percent oil derivation fund.
The former Rivers Administrator who responded through his media aide,
Hector Igbikiowubu, argued that the probe attempt was misplaced.
Speaking, he said:
“When you say they were going to probe the tenure of the administrator, was it the Assembly that appointed the administrator? You see, the point to note is that commentary is free. You can’t stop people from running commentary. The House of Assembly has been on break for a very long time, and you will appreciate that they have not been able to discharge their functions for such a long time,” Igbikiowubu said.
“Now that they have resumed, they have to make an effort to carry out their functions. So, it will seem their right to probe what has gone wrong in the state. Nobody can stop the lawmakers from carrying out a probe of what they perceive to be their functions within the state. But like I asked earlier, were they the ones that appointed the administrator? So, if you didn’t appoint the administrator, it goes to reason that you have certain limitations. When you also realise that the administrator was appointed by the president, it goes without reason that the administrator acted for and on behalf of the president.”
Continuing, he insisted that: “When you also reason that the administrator was supervised by the National Assembly, it goes without reason that when you decide to probe the administrator, you’re invariably saying that you will be probing the administrator and the National Assembly. So, I wish them good luck with their plan and their probe. But you and I know that such an enterprise amounts to a fool’s errand.”
BACKGROUND
The six-month emergency rule was declared by President Bola Tinubu on March 18 following a perceived irreconcilable, protracted power tussle between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Fubara.
However, in a turn of fate, Ibas, handed over on September 17, to the elected Governor of the State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was suspended together with all other elected officials of the State.
