Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Appointed Administrator of Rivers State.
By Our Correspondent.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, March 18, appointed Vice Admiral Onok Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
The appointment followed the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the 27 lawmakers in the state for an initial period of six months.
While making the declaration, President Tinubu announced the appointment of a sole administrator for the state.
“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.”
Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR was born on 27th of September 1960.
He is a retired Navy vice admiral, who was the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Nigerian Navy from 2015 to 2021. Ibas was born in Nko, Cross River State.
He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of 26 Regular Course on 20 June 1979 and was commissioned sub-lieutenant on 1 January 1983.
He began his primary education at Nko Primary School, Nko, in 1966 and completed it at Big Qua Primary School, Calabar, in 1971.
He then proceeded to the Hope Waddell Training Institute Calabar from 1972 to 1976. Between 1977 and 1979, he attended the School of Basic Studies Ogoja before proceeding to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979.
Ibas has attended several military courses at home and abroad, including the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course at INS Venduruthy in India from April 1983 to May 1984 and Primary Pilot Training at the 301 Primary Flying Training School at Nigerian Airforce Base in Kaduna from April 1986 to October 1987.
He proceeded to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna in January 1990 and completed the Junior Staff Course in June of the same year.
In July 1992, he reported at the Amphibious Warfare School of the United States Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, US, and graduated with a diploma in amphibious warfare in May 1993.
In February 1994, Ibas commenced the Officers’ Long Course specializing in underwater warfare at the Underwater Warfare School, NNS Quorra, and completed the same in February 1995.
From August 1996 to July 1997, he returned to the prestigious Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji where he completed the Senior Staff Course with excellent grades.
He is also an alumnus of the National Defence College, Islamabad, Pakistan, having attended the National Defence Course from August 2005 to June 2006.
In addition, he holds a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Ibas has held several appointments in the Nigerian Navy.
