It’s giving audacity
Rivers State's Sole Administrator is accusing the NBA of double standards
Good morning, Big Brains. I restocked my skincare products yesterday and I haven’t stopped hissing since. Why are they so expensive?
-Margaret
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Let’s get into today’s edition:
Rivers State’s Sole Administrator is accusing the NBA of double standards
There’s been another round of killings in Jos
The Big Deal
Rivers State’s Sole Administrator is accusing the NBA of double standards
We know a little delulu can be good sometimes, but that’s not the reason for anyone to baptise themselves in it. The Rivers’ Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, might have taken the cope too far and is now reaching for what’s not there.
Remember how President Tinubu woke up one morning and thought it was a bright idea to temporarily replace the duly elected governor of Rivers State with a Sole Administrator? The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), like many other bodies and institutions, condemned this, pointing out it was against the law.
Last week, the NBA showed they mean business by moving their Annual General Conference, previously slated to be held in Port Harcourt, to Enugu State. Naturally, Rivers’ Sole Administrator, Ibas, wasn’t happy with this, but instead of him to hold his L in peace, he released a whole shalaye statement going into how he’s in the right and the NBA is wrong.
In the statement released by his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubo, on Monday, April 14, Ibas said that the NBA’s decision to move its conference was “misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming of an association that prides itself on upholding justice and fairness.” He didn’t stop there; he justified his appointment and the State Of Emergency rule as constitutionally accurate (🌚), then asked the NBA to return the ₦300 million given to it by the Rivers State Government (before the State Of Emergency rule) for the hosting of the 2025 conference since they want to talk smack. According to him, “If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits.”
Why is this a big deal?
First, the money given to the NBA by the duly elected government of Rivers State was in no way a condition for hosting the conference. Other State governments occasionally do this as well, even when the conference is not hosted in their states. Ibas is acting like that one ex who demands back all items gifted in the course of a relationship.
To the main thing—Ibas’s position and the State of Emergency rule in Rivers State are a mockery of the Nigerian constitution, and defending it the way he has done is pouring salt on an already sore injury.
Also, on April 10, Ibas ignored a court order and went ahead to sack and replace the 23 local government caretakers and the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) with administrators. The NBA says “his actions have undermined democratic institutions and processes, flouting the rule of law with impunity. Though clad in civilian attire, he governs as though the state is under military rule.”
Ibas additionally suspended all heads of ministries, departments, and agencies in Rivers State and replaced them with new appointees. He almost created a new budget for the State but was (surprisingly) stopped by the House of Reps, who reminded him that his role does not include lawmaking.
These moves by the Rivers State Sole Administrator have been criticised not just by the NBA but also by other concerned Nigerians who are worried Sim Fubara’s suspension is beginning to look permanent.
Ibas’s actions and the State Of Emergency as a whole are insane, and no amount of denial can make them okay. On April 11, a Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Ejike George, couldn’t hold it in anymore, so he resigned after 16 years in service.
This latest exchange with the NBA, as well as his previous decisions in the State, seem to suggest he might overstep his bounds more often within his six months in power. The House of Reps had earlier said it was going to constitute a committee to monitor his actions, but can we actually trust this same chamber of the National Assembly that backed the State Of Emergency declaration in the first place? Nigerian citizens might have to do the hard work of keeping a close eye on Rivers State to avoid stories that touch.
There’s been another round of killings in Jos
The stories out of Jos, Plateau State, keep getting sadder and more worrisome by the day. On Monday, April 14, Zike and Kimapka communities in the Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area of the State were left in mourning after a brutal attack that left some people dead and others injured.
Though state authorities have yet to confirm the number of casualties, eyewitnesses and sources in the area put the number of casualties at 49.
These armed attacks started in a community in Bokkos district and have been happening in different parts of the state since March 27, leaving so many dead. Although the attacks have been linked to suspected herders, land grabbing and ethnic cleansing, no one is sure of this yet or why they’re happening.
President Tinubu has promised the attackers will be found and prosecuted and so has the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, but more attacks have happened since they made these promises.
Before this, the Bokkos district suffered a massacre in December 2023 after armed men attacked over 14 communities, leaving about 150 dead and thousands displaced. These new waves of attacks might not be unconnected to the 2023 crisis, but there’s no way to be sure as neither the government of the state nor the NSA, who says he’s been on the matter, has yet to emphatically state who the perpetrators of the recent attacks are.
As it stands, these communities are at the mercy of their attackers and the ability of security agencies to come to their rescue when it happens. Wondering how you can help? Start by talking about it as heavily as possible on social media, pressuring the government to deploy enough security forces there while they swiftly find, name, and punish the attackers.
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This Week’s Big Question
This week’s Big Question: “24 hours in Tinubu’s seat; who are you sacking?”
Chinaza’s response- “I’ll arrest all the thrift vendors on IG. Their own is now too much.”
You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Chinaza’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
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