The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (rtd), has named Professor Ibibia Lucky Worika as the new Secretary to the State Government.
News About Nigeria reports that before this appointment, Worika was the Director of the Centre for Advanced Law Research at Rivers State University.
He had also previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt.
This appointment came after a thorough review of Worika’s qualifications and his outstanding performance in the selection process.
In another development, Dr. George Nweke has stepped down from his role as the Head of the Civil Service.
As a temporary measure, Dr. Iyingi Brown, the Permanent Secretary for Welfare in the office of the Head of Service, will act as the Head of Civil Service until a new one is appointed.
The Rivers State Administrator congratulated Brown on her appointment and reassured the people of Rivers State of his dedication to ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Meanwhile, a new wave of concern has spread across Rivers State as reports alleged that Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas is planning to appoint administrators for the 23 local government areas.
This move comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu allegedly tasked Ibas with establishing a leadership structure for the state’s local governments.
Sources claimed that Ibas, despite a Supreme Court ruling that reinforced the autonomy of local governments, is set to disregard these constitutional provisions by appointing officials rather than allowing local elections.
Some insiders have raised alarms that such an action would violate democratic principles and ignore the ruling that affirmed only elected officials should lead local governments.
Reports claimed that the list of potential appointees has already been compiled, with several names linked to influential political figures in the state.
This has triggered fears of an attempt to manipulate the local government system and bypass the will of the people.
