Upon his resumption, the Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) says his mandate is to restore law and order, stabilise the polity and create the necessary conditions for the full restoration of democratic institutions and representation.
He assures that he is not coming as a partisan actor nor as a competitor in the struggles that have brought the state to the point it has found itself.
In his maiden statewide broadcast to the people on Thursday, the Administrator says he is coming as a servant of the state who has been entrusted with the solemn duty of restoring peace and order so that Rivers State can move forward once again and reclaim its rightful place as the oil and gas capital of Nigeria.
While addressing the people of the state, Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd) called for unity and cooperation, saying that the challenges before the state depend on unity and not divisions.
While promising to abide by the rule of law and respect the rights of the people, the Rivers State Administrator warns that he would not tolerate any act of lawlessness.
He also addressed his plans for Rivers State in the next six months of the emergency rule.
At the time of filing this report, Rivers state is calm.