The Rivers Progressives Mandate has expressed dismay over the postponement of the meeting between the state?s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibase (rtd.), and the House of Representative Ad-Hoc Committee, describing it as ?a bold display of bias, contempt, and vindictiveness against Rivers people.?

A statement signed by Peter Nmerukini, Public Relations Officer, Rivers Progressives Mandate, stated that, ? Once again, the Sole Administrator has shown his true colour. The sudden and unceremonious postponement of the scheduled meeting between the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee and the sole administrator of Rivers state Vice Admiral Ibas Rtd, is nothing short of an insult to the intelligence of Rivers people and a direct attack on transparency, justice, and due process.?

According to the statement issued on Saturday, April 18, 2025, ?No cogent reason was given. No accountability was displayed. Just an arrogant brush-off of a critical engagement that concerns the future of a state he claims to serve. This is not leadership. This is political puppetry at its worst.?

Text of the statement further reads: It?s been three weeks since Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete assumed his illegitimate position. Three weeks of lopsided appointments, questionable alliances, and actions that clearly exposes his bias. One would think that within this time, he would have settled in, understood the terrain, and be ready to face legitimate questions on his activities. But instead, he dodges the very first opportunity to speak truthfully before a statutory committee.

?Why? What exactly is he hiding?

?Is it that he hasn?t received his full script yet from those who planted him in office? Or perhaps he?s waiting for clearance from his political paymasters to know what version of the ?lies? to present? Because clearly, this is not a man acting independently and certainly not one working in the interest of Rivers State.

?Let us not forget, he has been moving around, visiting project sites, holding private meetings, and granting audiences to a selective few those his paymasters has given to him. That alone proves that he is not unfamiliar with the state?s affairs. So why the fear? Why the hesitation?

?The truth is clear: this postponement is not about preparation, it is about manipulation. It is a calculated delay tactic meant to buy time, sanitize narratives, and shield the real architects of the illegality going on for the past three weeks. It is a cowardly attempt to avoid immediate scrutiny while a more ?palatable? version of events is being cooked up behind closed doors.

?This whole charade is about control and returning Rivers State to the hands of a few individuals who have long mistaken public institutions for personal property. The Sole Administrator is merely their pawn, installed not to serve the people, but to serve their vengeance and ego.

?His every move so far reeks of exclusion, vendetta, and a total lack of respect for the democratic will of the people. And now, by dodging the Ad-hoc Committee, he has confirmed our greatest fears: that this administration is not here for peace, but to destroy what Governor Fubara has labored to establish in peace.?

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