The Federal Government (FG) has announced that Rivers State’s allocation from the Federation Account will be directed to the state’s Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He described the intervention as a necessary step to prevent the state from descending into chaos.
Fagbemi also dismissed speculations linking the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to the political turmoil that led to the emergency declaration.
Addressing concerns about the disbursement of federal funds to the state, the Minister clarified that the allocation would be made available to Ibas upon request.
READ ALSO: Rivers State of Emergency: Unconstitutional, reckless, says Peter Obi
“Given the exceptional circumstances, it is appropriate for the funds to be released through the Administrator,” Fagbemi stated.
Justifying the President’s action, he argued that Tinubu’s intervention was neither premature nor excessive, emphasising that multiple attempts had been made to resolve the crisis before the emergency declaration.
“Would it have been better to wait until the situation became irreparable? The President acted at the right time, after exhausting all avenues for reconciliation,” he said.
On Tuesday, President Tinubu announced a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly.
The crisis in Rivers State stems from a fierce political standoff between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which had effectively stalled governance in the oil-rich state.
To stabilize the situation, the President appointed Ibas as the interim Administrator to oversee state affairs until normal governance structures can be restored.
READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns man for rejecting Naira, accepting Dollars
Ibas previously served as Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
