The state House of Assembly has vowed to investigate the expenditure during the six-month emergency rule under Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), only for the former sole administrator to dismiss the probe as an overreach beyond the lawmakers' authority.
The Assembly, resuming plenary under Speaker Martin Amaewhule after the emergency period ended on September 17, resolved to scrutinize the state's spending from the consolidated revenue fund, including contract awards and other disbursements.
"To explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure," Amaewhule announced during the session.
Ibas, appointed by President Bola Tinubu and relieved of his duties following the emergency's conclusion, sharply rejected the initiative through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubu.
"When you say they were going to probe the tenure of the administrator, was it the Assembly that appointed the administrator?... So, if you didn’t appoint the administrator, it goes to reason that you have certain limitations," Igbikiowubu stated.
He further argued that such a probe would effectively target the President and the National Assembly, calling it "a fool’s errand" and wishing the lawmakers "good luck."
The emergency rule, declared on March 18, 2025, under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Assembly amid a prolonged power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
The National Assembly endorsed the measure on March 20, despite backlash and a Supreme Court challenge filed by 11 PDP governors (SC/CV/329/2025), with no further public developments reported.
During Ibas' tenure, Rivers State received N254.37 billion in Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds from March to August, bolstered by oil derivation and VAT receipts, though portions were deducted for debt servicing.
However, the 2025 Budget Implementation Report remains unpublished, fueling suspicions of mismanagement. Major projects, including the House of Assembly Complex, stalled despite the inflows, prompting outcry from residents and civil society.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have amplified demands for transparency, with the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, led by Chairman Enefaa Georgewill, urging Governor Fubara to establish a panel of inquiry.
"We will be calling on the Rivers State Governor to set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain how much he received both in terms of federal allocation and Internally Generated Revenue and how he expended it.
This is because we suspect corruption," Georgewill said, pointing to unfinished infrastructure.
The Civil Liberties Organisation voiced these concerns, with Spokesperson Emma Obe labeling the emergency administration "illegal" for deviating from constitutional norms. "But this government must give an account of what they have received so far. It is not enough for them to come and stay for six months and go away without telling the people of the State what came in, how they spent the money, and all that," Obe insisted.
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