Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Onueze Okocha, has advised the Rivers State House of Assembly to shelve plans of probing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as the state’s Sole Administrator during the six-month emergency rule.
Speaking with journalists on Monday in Port Harcourt, Okocha urged the lawmakers to focus on rebuilding the state through “robust legislative commitments” rather than embarking on probes.
Naijaonpoint understands that Ibas was appointed as Sole Administrator by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and he held office until September.
Upon the end of his leadership, calls mounted for a review of his spending during the period, but Okocha argued that such moves would be misplaced.
He said, “I think Ibas deserved some honour and respect; it will be unkind if our lawmakers begin to talk about probing him since they did not appoint him, nor was he reporting to them.”
The senior lawyer cautioned that an investigation could be misinterpreted as political victimisation.
“If the probe is carried out, it could be misunderstood as a witch-hunt, since he was only deployed to accomplish a task as directed by President Bola Tinubu,” Okocha noted.
He stressed the need for lawmakers to allow the state to run peacefully along democratic lines.
Okocha further appealed for cooperation among the arms of government in the state.
He added, “There’s an urgent need for a harmonious relationship amongst the three arms of government, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, if we must move forward.”
He urged the Assembly to focus on strengthening democratic institutions and fostering stability instead of pursuing investigations.
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