Following some of the activities and actions taken by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas since assuming office, the leadership of the Niger Delta Democratic Alliance (NDDA) has passed a vote of no confidence on him.
Timi Jack, the president of the group accused the retired Naval Vice Admiral of failing to provide credible leadership, thereby worsening the political crisis in River State.
In a statement issued on Friday, April 25, Jack said Ibas, rather than calm the tension that enveloped the state – by initiating dialogue between warring parties -he has only succeeded in isolating key stakeholders of the state and fueled more political hostilities.
Jack added that the vote of no confidence passed on Ibas by the NDDA does not only stem from assessing his style of leadership but also his unwillingness to work with stakeholders including elected representatives.
“Ibas has become the problem. Instead of helping to provide any solution, he has turned the state into a full conflict zone like the North West and North East regions. If this continues, we fear that Rivers could descend into the kind of bloodshed we are seeing in parts of the north.
“He has not convened one single town-hall meeting since his controversial appointment. There has been no attempt to engage Rivers people, not even the local government executives or youth leaders. What exactly is his strategy? You cannot solve a political crisis by issuing military-style directives from behind a desk,” Jack said.
The NDDA president stated that with Ibas on the seat of power, Rivers State and her people are currently sitting on a keg of gun powder as several residents and indigenes are losing their faith.
The group further called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately remove Ibas and reverse the “costly miscalculation” that has only inflamed tensions rather than healed the state.
