By Charles Pemu 
Port Harcourt, Rivers State – With just four days remaining until the September 18 deadline for the end of emergency rule in Rivers State, the sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas, is preparing to mark the conclusion of his six-month tenure with a massive thanksgiving service.
The inter-denominational church service is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Ecumenical Centre on Abonnema Wharf Road in Port Harcourt. According to a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, the event is part of the “transition activities to usher in Democratic Governance.” Invitations have been extended to a wide range of state and local officials, traditional rulers, and business leaders.
In one of his final acts as administrator, Ibas took a decisive step to address long-standing issues within the state’s pension system. On Friday, he inaugurated the newly constituted Rivers State Pensions Board, tasking them with restoring “accountability, transparency, and efficiency.”
Speaking at the inauguration, the Administrator declared his commitment to ending the “prolonged suffering of retirees” who have faced years of delayed payments. He called the event a “reaffirmation of our government’s commitment to ensuring that those who have labored faithfully… are treated with the dignity, respect, and care they truly deserve.”
Ibas gave a stern charge to the new board, stating, “Excuses will not be entertained. Our pensioners have waited long enough, expectations are high, and the time to deliver is now.” He noted that a recent statewide re-verification exercise had already uncovered significant issues, which the new board is expected to fix.
Last week, Ibas stated that his mandate from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been “sufficiently achieved” following the successful conduct and swearing-in of newly elected local government chairmen. This declaration was made during a ceremony where the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) presented the report of the recent local government elections.
“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilize the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance,” he said. “I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given.” He also praised RSIEC for organizing what he described as a “fair, credible, and transparent electoral process.”