Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has issued a directive requiring all Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) from the state’s 23 local government councils to submit detailed reports on their respective councils’ activities over the past two years.
This directive, Africa Update reports has generated considerable attention among the HLGAs, given its urgency and perceived political implications.
This action follows the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the 2024 local government elections, prompting the suspended Governor Siminialayi Fubara to instruct the HLGAs to assume administrative control of the local government areas.
Directive and Reporting Requirements
On Monday, the Sole Administrator mandated the submission of these comprehensive reports, conveyed through a letter from Dame Dr. Itong Awani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government Affairs. The directive was publicly disclosed on Wednesday.
The letter explicitly states: “His Excellency, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State has directed that all Heads of Local Government Administration should submit the report of their councils to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs.” It further stipulated that all submissions, adhering to a specified format, were to be delivered by Wednesday, March 26, 2025, for subsequent transmission to the Sole Administrator’s office at Government House, Port Harcourt.
