By Our Reporter – Port Harcourt
A High Court in Rivers State has issued a restraining order against the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (rtd), barring him from inaugurating the newly appointed chairman and members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission.
Justice Frank Onyiri gave the directive on Monday following the adoption of final written addresses in a legal challenge mounted by members of the commission appointed by the suspended governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The claimants, Reverend Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenem Wisdom Jerome, and three others, are contesting their removal from office by Ibas. They allege that their suspension was not only illegal but also executed without due process, and are seeking judicial redress to reverse the action.
Justice Onyiri, in his ruling, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum and adjourned the matter to September 29 for judgment.
The aggrieved former officials argue that they were duly appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and that their appointments were formalized through documentation with the Clerk of the House.
In a sworn affidavit by the suspended chairman, Reverend Iduoku Ben, the claimants assert that the Sole Administrator acted outside the bounds of the law and lacks constitutional authority to remove them or appoint a new commission.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the Sole Administrator, the state Accountant General, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, and 11 other entities believed to be involved in the implementation of the disputed changes.
The unfolding legal battle is the latest twist in the political turbulence that has gripped Rivers State, further deepening tensions over administrative authority and the limits of interim governance structures.
