By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Port Harcourt
As Governor Siminalayi Fubara resumed office on Thursday after six months of suspension, Rivers people and political stakeholders have called on him to probe the activities of the former Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd).
The call came amid widespread claims that despite controlling billions of naira in state resources, the former administrator left behind no tangible development for the people of Rivers State.
Many residents who trooped to Government House, Port Harcourt, to welcome Governor Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Odu, expressed frustration that all projects initiated by Fubara before his suspension remained abandoned throughout Ibas’ tenure.
According to them, the absence of progress under Ibas not only stalled development but also worsened the socio-economic challenges facing the state.
Chief Emeka Beke, factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, accused Ibas of mismanaging the state’s resources without delivering results.
“Ibok-Ete Ibas has not achieved anything, he did not even try to achieve anything. He came to enjoy the resources of Rivers State and is leaving very fulfilled,” Beke alleged.
“I challenge him to point to one project he completed in six months. With the billions he received, Rivers people deserve an account. If I were the governor, I would probe him. Fubara should set up a panel of inquiry to make him account for Rivers money.”
Comrade David-West David, Chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), also criticized Ibas’ record, describing his six-month tenure as “doom” for Rivers State.
“As far as I’m concerned, the retired military general did nothing for Rivers people but compounded their problems,” he said. “I support the call for a panel of inquiry to ensure that wrongly spent funds are recovered into the state’s coffers.”
Political scientist and Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) Nigeria, Dr. Fynface Dumneme, acknowledged that Ibas restored relative peace during his tenure but argued that he left the state no better than he met it.
“The only achievement he can lay claim to is conducting local government elections,” Dumneme observed. “For the first time, Rivers had a budget of over ₦1.4 trillion, yet there is nothing on ground to show for it. He must give account of how these resources were managed.”
The growing calls for a probe highlight the mounting pressure on Governor Fubara to ensure transparency and accountability as he reclaims his mandate. For many Rivers citizens, investigating Ibas’ stewardship would not only recover alleged misused funds but also restore confidence in the state’s governance.