The much-anticipated meeting between the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee on Rivers State and the state’s Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, took place on Friday after multiple delays.

The House committee, exercising its constitutional rights, had previously sought to take on the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly. During the meeting, Ibas expressed regret for his absence at prior sessions, attributing the delays to his ongoing adjustment to his new role. He requested additional time to prepare for his briefing and sought the committee’s understanding.

Following Ibas’s plea, the meeting proceeded behind closed doors after journalists were asked to leave. The Sole Administrator left the meeting after about an hour without providing any public comment.

The committee had rescheduled the session last week after a formal request from Ibas, who had attended the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja the previous day. This marked Ibas’s first appearance at a meeting since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The NEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, included various state governors and deputy governors.