Rivers State Sole Administrator Appoints New Members To Key Commissions Amid Controversy.
Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibokette Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has made sweeping changes to the state’s administrative framework with the appointment of new members to the Civil Service Commission and the Local Government Service Commission.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibibia Lucky Worika, the appointments were confirmed to take effect from 7 April 2025. The move is part of Ibas’s broader effort to realign the governance structure of the state following his assumption of administrative control.
Appointments to Civil and Local Government Service Commissions
The newly appointed members of the Civil Service Commission are:
– Dr Livinus Bariki – Chairman
– Amb. Lot Peter Egopija – Member
– Mrs Maeve Ere Bestman – Member
– Mrs Joy Obiaju – Member
– Mrs Charity Lloyd Harry – Member
Meanwhile, the Local Government Service Commission will now include:
– Mr Israel N. Amadi – Chairman
– Mr Linus Nwandem – Member
– Lady Christabel Ego George Didia – Member
– Dr Tonye Willie D. Pepple – Member
– Barr. Richard Ewoh – Member
– Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd) – Member
– Dr Sammy Apiafi – Member
These appointments are seen as strategic in repositioning the state’s administrative apparatus.
Legal Tensions Surrounding Recent Moves
However, the announcement has not been without controversy. Vice Admiral Ibas has come under criticism for appointing administrators to the 23 local government councils across the state despite a standing restraining order issued by the Federal High Court.
In addition, Ibas has also made fresh appointments to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), in a move perceived by observers as part of a broader plan to consolidate authority.
These decisions have fuelled speculation that the Sole Administrator is working to dismantle the lingering political structure associated with the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, thereby redefining the power dynamics in Rivers State.
As tensions continue to rise over the legality and political implications of these moves, public attention remains fixed on how the state’s political and judicial institutions will respond in the days ahead.
