The Federal Government has confirmed that the monthly allocation for Rivers State will be released to the state’s Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), following the recent declaration of a state of emergency.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He stated that the allocation would be made available upon request by the Administrator, given the extraordinary situation in the state.
Fagbemi justified the emergency declaration, explaining that it was necessary to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order. He emphasized that the political crisis in Rivers State had reached a critical stage, making urgent intervention unavoidable.
Responding to concerns about the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in the crisis, Fagbemi dismissed speculations that Wike was involved. He insisted that there was no evidence linking him to the events that led to the emergency declaration.
The minister defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision, stressing that the intervention was timely. He argued that delaying action could have worsened the situation and questioned whether the federal government should have waited for a total collapse of governance before stepping in.
According to Fagbemi, President Tinubu had made multiple attempts to mediate between conflicting political factions in the state before declaring the state of emergency. He noted that the President engaged the parties involved and urged them to reach an amicable resolution before resorting to the drastic measure.
On Tuesday, President Tinubu announced the state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In his national address, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional violations, and security concerns as the primary reasons for the intervention, stating that the move was necessary to safeguard governance and maintain order in the state.
