*Sets For massive Thanksgiving Service Sunday
*Hurriedly Inaugurates Pensions Board
By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt
With just four days left to the much-anticipated September 18 deadline for the lifting of the emergency rule in Rivers state, the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok–Ette Ekwe Ibas, retired, has planned a massive thanksgiving service for the period he has been in charge of the state’s affairs for the past six months.
Invited for the Thanksgiving service are the Permanent Secretaries, Local Government Chairmen, Heads of State Security and Para-Military Agencies, Traditional Rulers, Chairmen and members of Boards and Governing Councils, Captains of industries, Government Officials and guests to the Inter-Denominational Church Thanksgiving Service, as part of transition activities to usher in Democratic Governance in Rivers State.
The event, which is scheduled to take place at the Ecumenical Centre, Abonnema Warf Road, Port Harcourt by 10 am has Ibas as a special guest of honour, according to a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika.
Despite the fact that Ibas has just a few days left to vacate the Government House, he took a decisive move to tackle longstanding issues in the state’s pension system by inaugurating the newly constituted Rivers State Pensions Board with a mandate to restore accountability, transparency, and efficiency.
During the inauguration ceremony on Friday at the Executive Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt, the Administrator declared his administration’s unwavering determination to end the prolonged suffering of retirees, many of whom have faced years of delayed payments and frustrating administrative bottlenecks.
“Today’s event is not just ceremonial; it is a reaffirmation of our government’s commitment to ensuring that those who have labored faithfully in the service of our dear state are treated with the dignity, respect, and care they truly deserve,” the Administrator stated.
He lamented the neglect faced by pensioners, whom he described as the dedicated men and women who “gave their best years to building Rivers State.” Vice Admiral Ibas made it clear that the inauguration of the board must serve as a definitive turning point, marking an end to the era of hardship for retirees.
In a firm charge to the new board members, the Administrator set a high bar for performance, stating, “The board must be a model of good governance. Excuses will not be entertained. Our pensioners have waited long enough, expectations are high, and the time to deliver is now.”
He revealed that the ongoing state-wide re-verification exercise has already exposed significant lapses in the previous system. The new board, he explained, was carefully selected to restore confidence, ensure the prompt processing and payment of entitlements, and fundamentally safeguard the welfare of all retirees.
Only last week, Ibas, pointedly made it clear that the mandate handed to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was “sufficiently achieved,” following the successful restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots level.
The declaration was made at Government House, Port Harcourt, during a ceremony where the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) presented the comprehensive report of the recently concluded local government elections to the State Administrator.
“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilize the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance,” the Administrator said. “With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given.”
He commended RSIEC for organising what he described as a fair, credible, and transparent electoral process, which has been widely praised within and beyond the state.
“For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people went out freely to express themselves and to select whom they wanted as their leaders. This is a testament to the peaceful and enabling environment we have collectively fostered,” he remarked.
Expectations are high with Rivers people waiting patiently from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the clock winds down six months since the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers state on March 18, 2025 leading to the enthronement of Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, retired as sole administrator.
The post Fubara’s Return: Ibas commences transition activities appeared first on Vanguard News.
