CSO: Plot by Ibas to appoint sole administrators for Rivers LG unconstitutional

Pilex Centre, a civil society organisation, has condemned the alleged plot by Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers state, to appoint administrators for the 23 LG councils in the state.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Courage Nsirimovu, coordinator of the group, described the plot as “unconstitutional and a clear instance of illegality breeding illegality”.

The group claimed that the plan seeks to yield control of the third tier of government in the state to loyalists of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

“Credible information from reliable sources have revealed plots by the sole administrator of Rivers state, to appoint administrators for the twenty-three local government councils of the state,” the statement reads.

“A gimmick contrived by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through his agent, vice-admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, to surreptitiously yield control of the third tier of government in Rivers state to lackeys of the minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike, in furtherance of their odious objective of state capture.”

The CSO also faulted the appointment of Ibibia Lucky Worika, as the secretary to the state government (SSG), noting that he is an “adent loyalist of Wike”.

They called on President Bola Tinubu and Ibas to exercise restraints in their “unlawful meddling into the administration of the state”.

“Pilex Centre condemns in very strong terms the unrefined and unlawful interferences of the federal government with the administration of Rivers state — especially in such an incautious manner that smacks of a perceptible taste to heat-up the polity, build tension and project the state in the light of a crisis-ridden sub-national territory,” the statement added.

“Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution explicitly states that the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is guaranteed under the constitution.

“Hence, Pilex Centre calls on Rivers people to resist the ploy of the said administrator to foist another class of undemocratic leadership on us.”