Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the sole administrator of Rivers State, has appointed Dr. Iyingi Brown as the acting Head of Service following the resignation of Dr. George Nwaeke.
Dr. Brown, formerly the Permanent Secretary for Welfare in the Office of the Head of Service, will assume the role in an interim capacity until a permanent replacement is announced.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ibas acknowledged Nwaeke’s resignation with regret, commending his contributions to the administration.
He reiterated his commitment to neutrality, peace, and stability in the governance of Rivers State.
Alongside Brown’s appointment, Ibas also named Professor Ibibia Worika as the new Secretary to the State Government. Worika, a professor from Okrika Local Government Area, was selected after a rigorous evaluation of his qualifications and experience.
“Professor Worika’s distinguished career spans academia, international legal practice, and high-level policy advisory roles, making him uniquely qualified to support the Administrator in the onerous task of achieving Mr. President’s mandate. His appointment takes immediate effect,” read a statement from the Rivers State Government House.
Some context
The appointments come in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, announced during a nationwide broadcast on March 18, 2025.
- The decision follows months of escalating political unrest and violence in the oil-rich region, primarily stemming from a bitter power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, a former governor of the state.
- As part of the emergency measures, Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have been suspended for an initial period of six months. President Tinubu cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants him the authority to declare a state of emergency in cases of national crisis, security threats, or breakdowns in public order.
- The political crisis in Rivers State had been brewing for months, with tensions heightened by reports of pipeline vandalism, threats of mass protests by civil servants, and violent clashes among rival political factions. The ongoing feud between Fubara and Wike, once close political allies, exacerbated instability, prompting intervention from the federal government.
The Nigerian Senate has since approved Tinubu’s emergency proclamation, exercising its constitutional authority under the amended 1999 Constitution. The approval grants the president the power to enforce emergency measures while mandating a review of the situation at intervals, with a maximum initial duration of six months.
A joint committee comprising members of both chambers of the National Assembly has been tasked with overseeing the administration of Rivers State during this period, ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions and the restoration of stability.
