The House of Representatives ad hoc committee on Rivers State has finally met with the state’s Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, after several delays.

The meeting, which took place on Friday, April 25, 2025, is part of the House exercising its constitutional right to assume control over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ibas apologized for missing previous meetings and requested more time to adequately prepare to brief the committee.

He explained that he was still adjusting to his new role and asked for the committee’s understanding.

Following his request, journalists were asked to leave as the meeting transitioned into a closed-door session.

After about an hour, the meeting concluded, but Ibas declined to comment as he exited.

Last week, the committee had rescheduled the session with Ibas following a formal request from him.

Ibas was also present at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, making his first appearance at the meeting since being appointed as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

This appointment followed the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in March 2025.

Vice President Kashim Shettima presided over the NEC meeting, which included various governors and deputy governors from across Nigeria.

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has argued that Nigeria’s challenges stem more from a lack of courageous followership than from a shortage of strong leaders.

Speaking at the ninth edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Leadership Colloquium and Award held in Lagos, Amaechi emphasized the need to build resilient institutions and hold power accountable.

The event, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” drew leaders and thinkers from across the country.

Amaechi dismissed the common calls for “fearless leadership” as largely rhetorical, noting that such leadership is often only celebrated when systems break down.

“Where the system works, you don’t need a courageous leader. It’s only when there is a failed leadership that we start searching for one,” he said.

He emphasized that true governance should prioritize justice and deliberate policies aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.

“Good government entails deliberate action to improve citizens’ welfare. This includes rule of law, regulation of power, and accountability, factors that lead to responsible governance,” he stated.

Amaechi warned that accountability goes beyond managing money or budgets—it is about creating systems where no one is above the law.

He cautioned against the concentration of power in the executive, describing it as a threat to democratic norms.

“Arbitrariness is antithetical to the rule of law,” he said.
“It arises when excessive power is concentrated in the hands of the executive.”

On the importance of legal safeguards, Amaechi highlighted the need to uphold due process.

“No one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Authoritarian leaders abhor due process. They don’t want transparency. They just want to do what they want.”

Founder of the AAF, Akinjide Adeosun, spoke on the transformative power of courageous leadership, asserting that the journey to greatness begins with integrity.

“Our strategy, derived from our mission to build great leaders, begins by transforming belief that is unseen into behaviour that is seen,” he said

“Fearless leadership manifests in tangible strides in healthcare, infrastructure, and industrialisation.”

He added that the conquest of fear enables leaders to make bold, sometimes unpopular decisions that ultimately strengthen national growth and competitiveness.

“Greatness starts with goodness,” Adeosun concluded.

Also speaking at the event, former Lagos State gubernatorial candidate Jimi Agbaje challenged the audience to examine the socio-political conditions that either enable or suppress fearless leadership.

He questioned whether some political acts presented as bold were truly so.

“When a leader speaks truth to power, the environment should ensure that their family’s basic needs, health and education are secured,” Agbaje said.

The member representing Enugu East Rural Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Raymond Okechukwu Ugwu, has rolled out a free empowerment initiative aimed at equipping his constituents with practical skills in agriculture and information technology.

Through his “Hon. Ray Ugwu Constituency Engagement Initiative,” the lawmaker is offering a FREE AGRO AID & ICT TRAINING targeting indigenes, residents, community leaders, cooperative societies, farmers, youths, women, and other interest groups within the constituency.

The program is designed to build capacity in sustainable farming practices, agribusiness opportunities, and essential digital skills to help participants thrive in today’s tech-driven economy.

Speaking with DAILY GAZETTE on the initiative, Hon. Ugwu emphasized that the training aligns with his vision to create self-reliant communities through practical knowledge and grassroots empowerment.

“This initiative is part of my broader agenda to promote inclusive development and ensure that our people are not left behind in the evolving economic landscape,” he said.

Participants will also receive starter kits and access to mentorship opportunities to help them translate their newly acquired skills into viable ventures.

The program, which runs in phases, is expected to train hundreds of constituents across various wards in Enugu East Rural.

Hon. Ugwu called on all interested constituents to seize the opportunity, assuring that more people-centered initiatives would follow as part of his commitment to impactful representation.

According to the lawmaker, the event shall attract notable political stalwarts to include Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state, Rt. Hon. Engr. Uche Ugwu, Speaker Enugu State House of Assembly, Dr. Patrick Uhuru, Commissioner for Agriculture Enugu State, HRH Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, Chairman Enugu East Traditional Rulers Council, Hon. Ekene Uzodimma, among others.

The training scheduled for Wednesday, 30th April 2025, at St. Patricks Emene, shall kick off at 10am.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Hycienth Ngwu, has called for increased defection of political stalwarts to the ruling party and greater support for President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to fix Nigeria’s structurally defective economy.

Ngwu, the former South-East Publicity Secretary of the APC, made this call on Friday in Enugu while reacting to the recent wave of high-profile defections to the APC from other political parties across the country.

He attributed the influx of new members into the APC to President Tinubu’s outstanding leadership qualities and innovative strategies aimed at rescuing the economy.

“According to him, managing a structurally defective economy requires a pragmatic and balanced leader. I thank God we have that leader in President Bola Tinubu,” Ngwu stated.

“Our economy has been structurally defective, and past leaders have been using the same solution to fix it. But like the saying goes, one cannot repeat the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.

“President Tinubu, being a pragmatic leader, changed the solution from day one of his presidency, and today, a different outcome is reshaping our economy for clear-minded people to see.

“Nigerians should see the current hardships as the period of transitional transformation from crude to refined product. It is always darkest before dawn.

“Let us pray for the sustenance of the strategic policies he has laid out and, most importantly, for the implementation of the policies to the letter,” he said.

Ngwu also appealed for bipartisan support, urging political leaders to prioritize the future of the nation over party differences.

“For the sake of the upcoming generations, let us push partisan politics aside and support President Tinubu for a second tenure.

“To achieve this, other political leaders are enjoined to defect to the APC for President Tinubu’s seamless election for a second term. Alternatively, one may choose to still support him from one’s opposition party.

“The upcoming generations will not forgive the present political class for any disruption of his second tenure.

“This is the opportune time for the South-East to change strategy and key into Nigerian mainstream politics,” he added.

Prof. Yakubu, INEC National Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has signaled its openness to enabling eligible Nigerians to vote without a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) in the 2027 general elections, provided that the move is supported by necessary legislative changes.

Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the commission is focused on improving voter access through technological innovations.

However, he emphasized that “any change in the voting procedure must be supported by corresponding legal amendments.”

“It is not our stand alone that is important. Equally critical is what the subsisting law says.”

“While the commission is favourably disposed to the recommendation by stakeholders (that PVCs alone should not be the only criterion for voting at an election), the law needs to be amended to reflect it,” Oyekanmi stated.

This position aligns with earlier comments made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners held in Abuja in December 2024.

In his remarks, Yakubu stressed the growing importance of technology, especially the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in enhancing the integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He said, “The commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.”

Yakubu further noted that individuals who already possess PVCs will still be able to use them.

However, he added that INEC is exploring alternatives such as computer-generated slips that could be issued by the commission or downloaded by voters from its official website.

“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation,” he explained.

“This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them,” Yakubu added.