Port Harcourt, Rivers State – April 9, 2025 – Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, the National President of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has penned a strongly worded open letter to the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, expressing “deep concerns” over what he describes as a “systematic tearing down of various structures” crucial for democracy in the state.
In the letter, dated April 3rd, 2025, and obtained by Africa Update, Ambassador Igali conveyed his regret for not formally congratulating Admiral Ibas on his appointment. He clarified that this omission was not due to a lack of personal esteem, citing their shared history in national service. Instead, Igali stated his inability to reconcile the appointment with the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State just a week after South-South leaders, under PANDEF, had met with President Bola Tinubu on March 11th, 2025. During that meeting, the President had reportedly tasked the leaders with peace-building efforts in Rivers State and requested a follow-up report.
Ambassador Igali, who has served closely with multiple former Nigerian presidents, emphasised that the “decapitation of democratic institutions in times of emergency rule is alien and repugnant to our current democratic structure.” He drew a parallel with the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, recalling how the then Attorney General of the Federation advised against dismantling democratic institutions even during the height of foreign invasion in parts of the Northeast.
While acknowledging Admiral Ibas’s “good service record” and his status as a “proud son” of the region, Ambassador Igali stated that his presence as Administrator is an “embarrassing aberration to all men of goodwill and good conscience.”
Despite this strong stance, PANDEF pledged to work with Admiral Ibas to ensure a peaceful tenure and his “early exit” from Rivers State, urging the people, particularly youths and political actors, to offer maximum cooperation.
However, the crux of Ambassador Igali’s concern lies in the “unbelievable level of dismantling, disassembling, and raising down all the institutions of democracy that have been in existence in the state” since Admiral Ibas assumed office. He cited several troubling actions, including the removal of the elected governor’s photographs from all government offices, a move he personally witnessed at Port Harcourt International Airport. He also highlighted the recent suspension of the boards of statutory institutions such as the State Independent Electoral Commission, Governing Councils of Tertiary Institutions, and the Traditional Rulers Council.
Drawing on his extensive experience in bureaucracy and international best practices gained during his diplomatic career, Ambassador Igali outlined the typical duties of a sole administrator as interim management, financial control, personnel management, and facilitating peace. He cautioned Admiral Ibas against taking decisions that fall short of “best and acceptable standards of decency,” especially as he believes the Gazette appointing the Administrator and extracts from National Assembly proceedings do not grant the “wide and sweeping powers” currently being deployed.
In conclusion, Ambassador Igali implored Admiral Ibas to act as a “dispassionate instrument of peace” and urged him to have the courage to “undo some of your actions that have so far proven to be over the bar.”
OPEN LETTER FROM AMB. IGALI TO ADM. IBAS
3rd April, 2025
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), CFR
Administrator,
Rivers State,
Government House,
Port Harcourt.
Dear brother and Admiral,
OUR DEEP CONCERNS OVER TEARING DOWN OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE
I have thought it important and quite pertinent to write to you to raise a matter of serious concern to all watchers of event in Rivers State and particularly leaders of various groups in the South-South of the country. This is as it pertains to what we observe to be a systematic tearing down of various structures, which are important for the continued building and consolidation of democracy in Rivers State right now taking place under your watch.- Before I proceed, let me express my regret that I did not, as expected, send felicitations to you on your appointment
to this office. I must say that this has nothing to do with my esteem for you and our joint participation in national service in which God graciously took we both to the very peak of our chosen careers. Conversely, at my last count, I congratulated you both on your appointment as Chief of Naval Staff in 2015 and thereafter as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Ghana in 2021. - On this occasion of your most recent appointment, I could not extend same brotherly felicitations on account of the fact that I still cannot come to terms that a state of emergency was declared in Rivers State just one week after our most revered leaders had audience with Mr. President on 11th March 2025. On that occasion, he requested leaders of South-South under PANDEF to go and continue with peace building in Rivers State and report back to him. Alas, there was no chance for that. Besides, I have been close enough in government, having worked closely with at least 3 former Presidents to know that the decapitation of democratic institutions in times of emergency rule is alien and repugnant to our current democratic structure.
- I recall vividly that during the time of President Goodluck Jonathan, the then Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, was man enough and had the fear of God to tell the then President that even though the parts of the country, i.e., Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe were under foreign invasion, a state of emergency cannot result in pulling down the institutions of democratic governance we are still nurturing after long years of military rule.
- It was therefore difficult for me, despite the fact that you are a man with a good service record and also one of our proud sons, to endorse you. Because your presence in Rivers State is an embarrassing aberration to all men of goodwill and good conscience.
- However, PANDEF will work with you to ensure your peaceful tenure and early exit from the scene in Rivers State. That is why we have continually urged our people, particularly the youths and political actors of Rivers State, to accord you maximum cooperation. The more troubling scenario that has emerged from your assumption of office is the unbelievable level of dismantling, disassembling, and raising down all the institutions of democracy that have been in existence in the state. These are many, and I may not be able to exhaustively recount all of them, but the mention of a few will suffice.
- First is the removal of the photographs of the elected governor from all offices when he has not yet been removed from office. This I saw first-hand at the Port Harcourt International Airport, where I often pass through and was told this was at the behest of your administration. On enquiry, I was told that this has happened in all other government offices around the state. Beyond that, is your most recent decision to suspend the boards of existing statutory institutions such as State Independent Electoral Commission, Governing Councils of Tertiary Institutions, and even the revered Traditional Rulers Council.
- I do not claim to be an expert on constitutional matters but as one who has been atop in the country’s bureaucracy and from best global practices around the world which I know too well from my diplomatic career of nearly half a century, the duties of a sole administrator as a placeholder are:
i) Making decisions in an interim manner regarding the management and day to day administration of the state;
ii) Financial control, especially receiving money, making payments, and ensuring transparency;
iii) Managing personnel and ensuring other human resource functions; and
iv) Taking measures to ensure peace, particularly using the office to intermediate and bring back peace to the realm in question; in this case, Rivers State.
- It is against this backdrop that I have been in great pain to write this letter to you and take the liberty to caution that in this complex national assignments which you find yourself enlisted to carry out, you must be timorous enough to not find yourself taking decisions that pale in the sight of best and acceptable standards of decency. This is more so as I have thoroughly read the Gazette dated 19th March, 2025 appointing you as Administrator as well as extracts of National Assembly Proceedings of Thursday, 20th March, 2025 and do not find the kind of wide and sweeping powers being deployed by your office.
- In conclusion, may the good Lord use you as a dispassionate instrument of peace, and may you have the courage to undo some of your actions that have so far proven to be over the bar.
- With my regards.
Signed
Godknows Boladei Igali
National President
