Gogo-Jaja Alleges Bias Against Ibas

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd.), has allegedly given directives to permanent secretaries and senior civil servants in the state from having any communication with former political appointees of the suspended governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara.
A report published on Sunday by The Southern Examiner said the directive was communicated through the Acting Head of Service to permanent secretaries and other top government officials.
The directive had made it difficult for Fubara’s former appointees and aides to seek and obtain needed information from the government as they were now avoided like a plague.
The action of the interim government has also been extended to lower cadre civil servants as two employees at Government House were recently sent on suspension for allegedly sharing information with their colleagues that were seen to be sympathetic to the suspended governor.
The development has led to paranoia among civil servants who fear that they could be monitored by agents planted in the system.
Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, a loyalist of Mr. Fubara, who incidentally was a commissioner in Nyesom Wike’s government, accused the sole administrator of exhibiting bias in his handling of the political crisis in the state.
Gogo-Jaja told The Central TV that Ibas had shown clear favouritism towards Wike, who is the other factor in the political crisis, saying that in the two months that he had run the affairs of the state, the sole administrator had made no effort to consult with Fubara, even when he met repeatedly with Wike.
He questioned the constitutionality of some politically motivated decisions taken by Ibas like appointments of caretaker chairmen for the state’s 23 local government councils.
He wondered whether the sole administrator’s mandate extended to dissolving duly constituted boards such as those of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), tertiary institutions and parastatals. “This goes beyond administrative stewardship and veers dangerously into political overreach.”
Gogo-Jaja said of the directive to civil servants to avoid former aides of Fubara, “This is a dangerous sign – not only of bias, but of an attempt to erase institutional memory and isolate a segment of the political class.”
He said the dissolution of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers was an undermining of the state’s cultural heritage. “This public disdain for our traditional institutions shows a misplaced anger and a lack of appreciation for the stabilizing role they play in times of political crisis,” he said.
He finally urged the sole administrator to discharge his duties with fairness and open mindedness and called for tolerance of opposing political views. “Peaceful protests by women, youth, and prayers by religious leaders are legitimate democratic expressions. They must not be viewed as threats but as calls for justice and proper governance,” he added.