Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has revoked the N134 billion contract for the renovation and furnishing of the State Secretariat, which was awarded beneath the emergency rule by then-Sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Mr Fubara additionally directed the contracting agency, China Civil Engineering Building Company, to refund the N20 billion it had obtained as mobilisation.
The governor’s spokesperson, Nelson Chukwudi, who disclosed this in an announcement on Thursday, mentioned the choice was reached on the State Govt Council assembly held on the Authorities Home, Port Harcourt.
Mr Chukwudi mentioned the Everlasting Secretary, Ministry of Works, Austin Ezekiel-Hart, advised reporters after the assembly that the contracts had been awarded “in a hasty method with out following due course of.”
He added that the state authorities had accepted the revalidation of the bidding course of for all 4 contracts earlier marketed in nationwide dailies on 19 February 2025.
The state authorities, Mr Chukwudi mentioned, accepted the revalidation of contracts, together with “the development of 4.8km strengthened concrete shoreline safety and reclamation of Queenstown, Epellema, Oloma, and Minima communities in Opobo/Nkoro Native Authorities Space; the development of two.5km shoreline safety and reclamation in Ndoni-Onukwu, Isikwu, and Aziazagi communities in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Native Authorities Space; and the development of two.5km shoreline safety and reclamation in Utuechi, Obiofu, Isala, Ani-Eze, and Odugri communities in the identical native authorities space, in addition to the renovation, retrofitting, and furnishing of the Rivers State Secretariat Advanced.”
Rivers emergency rule
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Mr Ibas as sole administrator for Rivers after declaring a state of emergency within the oil-rich state and suspending Governor Fubara and the state lawmakers.
The president had cited the extended political feud between Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, in addition to the bombing of oil pipelines, as causes for his motion.
Mr Ibas, a retired chief of naval employees, ruled the state for six months—from March to September—however his tenure was marred by criticism, notably over the dissolution of boards and commissions constituted by Mr Fubara.
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Within the ultimate days of his administration, Mr Ibas awarded a number of contracts and made controversial appointments, together with naming a brand new head of civil service barely an hour earlier than his tenure expired.
In line with Mr Chukwudi, the revoked secretariat contract was a type of awarded in a “hasty method with out following due course of.”
