On Tuesday, 18th March, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Onok Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State, following the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
As part of the declaration, Governor Siminalayi Fubara was suspended for an initial period of six months. In a statement, President Tinubu said, “In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.”
Vice Admiral Ibokette Ekwe Ibas, CFR, was born on 27th September 1960 in Nko, Cross River State. He is a retired Navy vice admiral and served as the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Nigerian Navy from 2015 to 2021.
Ibas began his education at Nko Primary School before attending Big Qua Primary School in Calabar. He later attended the prestigious Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar and the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979.
Ibas has attended various military courses both at home and abroad, including the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course at INS Venduruthy in India and Primary Pilot Training at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna. He also trained at the United States Marine Corps University, the Underwater Warfare School, NNS Quorra, and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
Throughout his career, Ibas held several key positions in the Nigerian Navy, including Executive Officer of various naval ships, Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Underwater Warfare School, and Deputy Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College. He was appointed Chief of Logistics in February 2014 and Chief of the Naval Staff in July 2015.
In recognition of his distinguished service, Ibas was conferred with the Nigerian National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in October 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ibas is also a member of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He has attended numerous international seminars and courses, including those at Harvard Kennedy School in the US and the London International Leadership Course.
