Rivers Administrator Charges Newly Inaugurated Boards to Serve with Integrity, Innovation

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has charged newly inaugurated board members of key state agencies to carry out their duties with integrity, urgency, and innovation, stressing professionalism and public accountability as central to their service.

Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during the swearing-in ceremony, the Administrator urged the appointees to adopt a hands-on approach in delivering on their mandates, describing their appointments as “a call to service, not a privilege.”

The boards inaugurated include the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Senior Secondary Schools Board, Internal Revenue Service Board, Microfinance Agency, Contributory Health Protection Programme Board, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Board, and the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA).

On education, Ibas underscored the need to tackle overcrowded classrooms, strengthen discipline, upgrade infrastructure, and reverse poor performance indices. He urged RSUBEB and the Secondary Schools Board to move beyond office deliberations and assess the realities in schools, particularly in remote areas. “Accountability must guide every kobo spent,” he cautioned, calling for robust data systems to track enrollment, teacher deployment, and student performance.

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Turning to economic reforms, he challenged the Internal Revenue Service Board to automate systems, block leakages, and boost internally generated revenue. “The work you are about to embark on is not just about collecting taxes. It is about financial sustainability, trust, and accountability,” he noted. He also tasked the Microfinance Agency with empowering small businesses through improved credit access, which he described as vital for grassroots economic growth.

On healthcare, Ibas pledged his administration’s commitment to affordable medical care for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. He described the Contributory Health Protection Programme and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital as central to achieving quality healthcare delivery and training future medical professionals.

Addressing environmental concerns, he declared sanitation a matter of public safety rather than mere aesthetics, charging RIWAMA to overhaul waste management in the state. He revealed that the government has procured new equipment and is opening access roads to dumpsites, while also urging the agency to adopt global best practices by converting waste into energy and industrial raw materials.

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“The task before this board is urgent and enormous. You must lead the charge to rid our cities and communities of filth,” he said, calling for strict enforcement of sanitation laws and stronger public awareness campaigns.

Concluding, the Administrator reminded the appointees that their performance would directly impact the lives of millions of Rivers people. “This is not about titles. It is about service, sacrifice, and results,” he affirmed