Emergency: Ibas meets Reps panel today as protests continue
The River State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd,), was expected to appear before the House of Representatives Committee overseeing the state’s administration under the emergency rule on Thursday but did not attend the meeting.
The Committee Chairman, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, conducted a closed-door session with committee members, lasting about 50 minutes, but declined to speak to the press afterward.
Journalists were left disappointed as the committee members refused to comment.
The meeting included prominent lawmakers such as Deputy Chief Whip, Ali Isah, and the chairpersons of various House committees, including those for Federal Character, Finance, Water Resources, and Health Services.
While no official reason was provided for Admiral Ibas’s absence, a source informed The PUNCH that Ibas will now meet with the committee on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 10 am in the National Assembly Complex.
The Sole Administrator’s participation at the National Economic Council meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, could explain his absence.
Meanwhile, protests continued in Rivers State as hundreds of women from the Opobo Kingdom marched to demand the immediate reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose suspension followed the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
The women rejected the appointment of a Sole Administrator to manage the state’s affairs, calling the emergency rule unconstitutional.
The protest, led by the President of the Opobo Women Association,Felicia Pepple, began with a solemn prayer session at King Jaja Monument Square, with the women wearing black to seek divine intervention.
A cleric, Venerable Michael Dappa, delivered a sermon that inspired the protesters. The women then marched to the Water Side, chanting, “Bring back our Governor,” and sat on the ground in protest.
Pepple emphasised the governor’s positive contributions to the state’s development and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinstate Fubara: “We voted for our peaceful and amiable Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara; we say no to emergency rule.” She urged Nigerians to support their cause and decried the hardship faced by the people of Rivers State under the emergency rule.
A resident, Blessing Accra-Jaja, lamented that the town’s once-bustling landmarks, like King Jaja Monument Square and local hotels, had become deserted.
She called on the National Assembly Reconciliation Committee and President Tinubu to reinstate Governor Fubara, hoping it would restore peace and the town’s festive spirit.
The Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group also expressed concern over the ongoing emergency rule, calling on President Tinubu to end the crisis.
They warned that the economy of Rivers State was deteriorating, causing hardship for women, youths, and children. In a prayer rally held in Port Harcourt, the group urged the president to lift the emergency rule, restore the state’s democratic institutions, and return Governor Fubara to office.
The group’s statement, signed by Dr. Vivian Ige-Elenwo and Chikodi Okpara, appealed for reconciliation and an end to the political standoff, emphasising the need for urgent action to save the state’s economy and improve the living conditions of its people.
The women expressed unwavering support for President Tinubu but remained firm in their demand for justice, equity, and the return of their elected governor.
The statement also called for greater security measures in the wake of recent attacks in Plateau, Benue, and Gombe states, highlighting the need for sustainable peace and development in the country.
Lawyers demand NBA President’s resignation
Meanwhile, a coalition of prominent legal professionals under the aegis of the Public Interest Lawyers League has called for the immediate resignation of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), and the Chairman of the NBA Annual General Conference Organising Committee, Emeka Obegolu, following controversy surrounding a N300m payment allegedly received from the Rivers State Government.
The group’s demand comes amid growing calls for the NBA to refund the sum, said to have been paid into its coffers by the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, for the hosting of the association’s 2025 Annual General Conference.
Though the NBA has since relocated the conference to Enugu, it maintains that the N300m was a “gift” from the Rivers State Government.
At a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, PILL President, Abdul Mahmud, accused the NBA leadership of compromising the integrity of the association.
He urged them to return the funds and resign immediately to salvage what remains of the association’s credibility.
“The NBA cannot claim to be the watchdog of public morality while engaging in conduct so thoroughly devoid of the very standards it seeks to impose on others,” Mahmud said. “The insistence of the NBA leadership to hold on to the N300m is not only disgraceful but reflects a deeper rot that has enabled an unaccountable elite within the association to treat the NBA as a personal fiefdom.”
Mahmud stressed that their call for resignation was not punitive, but a necessary first step towards organisational reform.
“This moment demands accountability, courage, and leadership,” he declared. “These resignations are necessary acts of organisational cleansing, aimed at restoring trust and credibility in the NBA.”
PILL further condemned the lack of transparency surrounding the transaction, noting that the revelation came not from NBA leadership, but from the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
“It was not disclosed in any official NBA communication, nor acknowledged by the Conference Organising Committee. It took an external whistleblower to bring this dark secret to light,” Mahmud said. “This scandal is not just about money—it is about principle, integrity, and the very soul of the Nigerian Bar Association.”
