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•Asks Ibas to report to National Assembly for approvals 

•Crisis a deliberate politically-induced coma, says Dele Momodu

Funmi Ogundare in Lagos and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has inaugurated a 21-man committee to oversee the affairs of the sole administration in Rivers State.

The Speaker stated that with the declaration of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and dissolution of the state House of Assembly, the National Assembly has the constitutional responsibility of making and amending laws for the state.

While charging the House Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight with monitoring the activities of the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), Abbas asked the administrator to report to the National Assembly for legislative approvals.

He said, “It is instructive to recall past instances where our nation has faced similar challenges. We witnessed state emergencies in Plateau State in 2004 and Ekiti State in 2006. Similarly, in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States after a series of deadly attacks by terrorists and militant groups. In those periods of dire security and governance challenges, the National Assembly assumed a vital role in upholding constitutional order.

“When state institutions were suspended, the intervention of the National Assembly ensured continuity in governance. Our actions today are grounded in Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which confers upon us the authority to make laws for any state whose elected legislative body is unable to perform its statutory functions.

“Accordingly, in response to the President’s declaration and in accordance with our constitutional duty, the Official Gazette of the State of Emergency was duly transmitted to both the House and Senate.

“On 20th March 2025, the chambers deliberated extensively and approved the President’s request with significant amendments designed to reinforce democratic safeguards and ensure robust oversight.

“These resolutions were duly forwarded to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for implementation. The Certified True Copies of this will be made available to this committee.

“It is paramount to note that the current administration in Rivers State is inherently temporary. With the suspension of the State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, and the entire House of Assembly, a caretaker administration has been installed under the stewardship of Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.).

“His role is strictly circumscribed, as he is charged with maintaining law and order and ensuring that the basic functions of governance are met only until full democratic governance is restored”

“The administrator is required to operate with the highest levels of transparency and accountability, reporting directly to the National Assembly on all matters that pertain to the peace, order and good government of the State as prescribed by the Constitution.”

The Speaker noted that the moment marked not only a critical milestone in the parliament’s constitutional mandate but also a display of the lawmakers’ dedication to transparent governance and the rule of law in the country.

Rivers State Crisis a Deliberate Politically Induced  Coma,  Says Dele Momodu

A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu, has criticised the political developments in Rivers State, alleging it was a calculated attempt to destabilise the region for personal and political gain.

Momodu, who spoke during an interview on Arise Prime-time, accused powerful political figures of deliberately inducing turmoil in the oil-rich state.

“There was no political upheaval in Rivers, it was deliberately induced,” he said, likening the state’s situation to ‘an induced coma’.

He pointed fingers at former governor,  Nyesom Wike, saying his refusal to relinquish control even after a ministerial appointment played a key role in the unfolding crisis.

According to Momodu,  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to appoint a sole administrator in Rivers was “a move to dismantle or even destroy and reconstitute the structures” of governance, further inflaming tensions.

“What happened was daylight robbery,” he said, emphasising that despite calls for a state of emergency, no formal declaration was ever made, and legal experts, including the Nigerian Bar Association, found such a move unconstitutional.

He noted that similar political tactics were surfacing in Bayelsa.

“The governor is already crying out, asking for rescue,” he added, describing the scenario as a dangerous trend of attempting to ‘pocket’ an entire state.

On the U.S. court ruling ordering American intelligence and law enforcement agencies to release information linked to a 1990s money laundering investigation, the PDP chieftain dismissed the case’s significance in Nigeria’s current political climate.

“I don’t think Nigerians are moved by anything again,” he said. “People have become indifferent.”

On the ongoing sexual harassment dispute involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the publisher called for resolution and reconciliation.

“She should return to the Senate. Her constituents voted for her,” he emphasised, while also acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations and the need for due process.

When asked about his relationship with President Tinubu, Momodu stated: “I see him as a big brother. But I place my country above self.”