…Bids Rivers People Farewell in Statewide Broadcast
…Warns Against Return to Collapse, Silent on Financial Accounts
By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt
The outgone Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), on Wednesday officially handed over power to Governor Siminalayi Fubara after six months of emergency rule, declaring that the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been fully accomplished.
In a statewide broadcast, Ibas said his assignment was to restore order in Rivers following the political crisis that led to the emergency proclamation on March 18, and that he was leaving with a sense of fulfillment.
“Six months ago, President Bola Tinubu entrusted me with the solemn responsibility of steering Rivers State through an extraordinary moment in its history.
“Today, I can say with conviction that by the grace of God and through our collective efforts, the mandate has been accomplished; law and order has been restored; local government elections have been conducted; statutory boards and commissions have been reconstituted; and the state budget has been passed by the National Assembly, providing a legitimate fiscal framework for governance and development,” he stated.
The former Sole Administrator, however, cautioned that Rivers must remain vigilant to prevent a relapse into crisis.
“May this state never again be brought to the brink of collapse. May we always choose unity over division; dialogue over discord; and progress over paralysis. The Garden City must never lose its fragrance,” Ibas warned.
Reflecting on lessons from the period, he stressed that unchecked power could cripple institutions and that democracy thrived on dialogue and strong institutions rather than rivalry.
“One of the enduring lessons of this season is that the exercise of power without restraint can cripple institutions, and rivalry without dialogue clearly endangers democracy,” he said.
Ibas thanked President Tinubu for entrusting him with the “onerous task of restoring order” and expressed gratitude to security agencies, elders, civil servants, and the people of Rivers for their resilience. He urged citizens to rally behind Governor Fubara, noting that leadership succeeds only with active public support.
“As I hand back the reins of leadership to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, I do so with confidence and respect. I urge Rivers people to support him wholeheartedly because leadership and followership is a shared responsibility,” he said.
The post Just in: Ibas officially hands over reins of power to Fubara appeared first on Vanguard News.
