Renowned industrialist and banker Atedo Peterside has hauled criticism at the appointments made by Rivers State sole administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, rtd.
Mr. Peterside accused the President Bola Tinubu appointed sole administrator of aggravating the political situation in Rivers State by making unexplained appointments of Local Government sole administrators and others. He said the individuals appointed were unfit to for such honours in River State, where President Tinubu declared a state of emergency and suspended governor elected Siminalayi Fubara.
He said it was either Vice Admiral Ibas was following a script or acting beyond his brief.
“When this Sole administrator was appointed, please check everywhere. I never made any comment about him, his competence, his integrity or anything. So, what has changed?
“What has changed is that I think the Sole administrator either misread his brief or he has no understanding of what his role is.
“And instead of coming to an inflamed situation with a view to helping to achieve stability and healing, he might be inadvertently adding fuel to the fire,” Mr. Peterside told Arise TV in an interview.
“A given basis, he’s made some appointments. First of all, he emerged in an irregular manner. I would say the executive were misguided. So he’s a product of the executive being misguided legally, and then the legislator will be introducing rascality to use a voice vote to confirm his appointment.
He’s made some appointments, even the Rivers State Electoral Commission. He went in there, removed people, made appointments. He then also went to all the LGs, appointed, Sole administrators.
“So, a man who himself probably has had no proper mandate in a serious country with a serious legal system now decides to add insult upon injury. Instead of simply leaving local governments in the hands of the most senior, full-time staff and even reading them the riot act, to do the correct thing, he now goes to superimpose people?
“I challenge him to tell the nation through what process he chose those he appointed. Through what process did he make the appointment? Did he advertise the positions? Did he call for nominations? Did he search Rivers State for the most competent, skilled persons of high integrity?
“Like I’ve already said, we know ourselves in Rivers State, you make many appointments from the people you’ve chosen. I can tell you who you are with due respect for the people he appointed, in my personal opinion, they are riff raffs.”
