Reps ask Ibas, Rivers State administrator to report to National Assembly not FEC

The House of Representatives has asked Ibok-Ete Ibas to report to the National Assembly instead of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

This development comes after the Representatives approved the Emergency rule in Rivers State, which led to the removal of Siminalayi Fubara as the state governor, along with Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and members of the state’s House of Assembly.

The House granted the approval after debating the President’s letter which Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House read before commencement of the debate.

The approval was given through a voice vote and not the procedural headcount, though the speaker said 243 members were in attendance.

The House amended the declaration to require the sole administrator to report to the National Assembly, citing Section 11, Subsection 4 of the Constitution.

Ibas, a retired Vice Admiral, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the Interim Administrator of Rivers State following the declaration of the state of emergency. As the Administrator, Ibas will oversee the affairs of the state for an initial period of six months.

Read also: Rivers Crisis: Senate holds closed-door session following Tinubu’s letter

The declaration of the state of emergency and the subsequent appointment of Ibas as the Administrator have generated significant controversy. The move has been criticized by some as an attack on democracy and an attempt to undermine the authority of the elected government in Rivers State.

While the House of Representatives approved the declaration with some amendments, the Senate has asked Ibas, the new Rivers State administrator, to report directly to the Senate instead of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).