Court bars Rivers sole administrator from inaugurating appointees

Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has barred the Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, rtd, from inaugurating the newly appointed and confirmed Chairman and members of Rivers State Services Commission.

The court asked the state to hold off on the inauguration of its appointees pending the determination of a suit instituted before it regarding the said appointments.

Justice Frank Onyiri issued the caution after parties addressed and adopted their final written addresses on the suit by Chairman and members of Rivers State Services Commission appointed by the suspended governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.

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The aggrieved sacked members of the commission had sought redress in court, challenging their suspension by Ibas.

Onyiri, after handing the order on Monday, ordered parties in the matter to maintain status quo and adjourned till September 29 for judgment.

However, the claimants, Reverend Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenem Wisdom Jerome and three others are challenging what they described as their illegal sack by the Sole Administrator.

They are arguing that Ibas removed them from office without due process, adding that the Sole Administrator has no legal backing to remove them from office.

The claimants are contending that they were legally appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and that before they were issued letters of appointment by the Governor, a record of their confirmation was with the Clerk of the House.

According to their affidavit signed by the suspended Chairman Goodlife Iduoku Ben, the claimants are insisting that the sole administrator lacked the legal powers to suspend them and appoint new chairman and members of the commission.

Meanwhile, the defendants in the suits are the Sole Administrator Ibas, the accountant general of the state, Access Bank, Zenith Bank and 11 others.