By Tonye Okurumo
October 6, 2025 | Port Harcourt
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Onueze Okocha (SAN), has advised members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to shelve plans to probe the tenure of Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as Sole Administrator during the six-month emergency rule in the state.
Okocha, who spoke with journalists on Monday in Port Harcourt, urged the lawmakers to redirect their focus toward rebuilding the state through robust legislative commitments rather than reopening controversies that could inflame tensions.
“I think Ibas deserves some honour and respect. It will be unkind if our lawmakers begin to talk about probing him, since they did not appoint him, nor was he reporting to them,” Okocha stated.
He further warned that any move to review or audit the expenditures of the Ibas-led administration might be perceived as a witch-hunt, given that the retired naval officer was acting under the directive of President Bola Tinubu during the emergency period.
“As a concerned citizen of the state, my advice to the lawmakers is that they should ignore the plan of probing Ibas and allow the state to run peacefully along democratic lines. There’s an urgent need for harmony among the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary if we must move forward,” he added.
However, the call for restraint has drawn mixed reactions from political observers and civic advocates.
A governance analyst, Dr. Boma Lawson, said Okocha’s position was “balanced and timely,” noting that legislative focus should now be on “healing and institutional reforms rather than opening old wounds.”
But another commentator, Comrade Felix Nte, a civil society activist, disagreed, insisting that “accountability is the soul of democracy,” adding that “anyone who handled public funds, whether during normal or emergency rule, must be ready to give an account.”
Similarly, Hon. Joy Wali, a former member of the Rivers Assembly, faulted the advice, saying, “Exempting past administrators from scrutiny sends the wrong message. The legislature’s oversight power is a constitutional duty, not a choice.”
Observers say the debate underscores a recurring dilemma in Nigeria’s democracy – balancing the need for harmony in governance with the imperative of holding public officers accountable for their stewardship. GMTNewsng
