The House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, yesterday told Rivers State Sole Administrator, IbokEte Ibas, he must report to the National Assembly for legislative approvals regarding his administrative actions in line with the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He said this when he inaugurated a 21-man ad hoc committee to oversee the affairs of the South South state under emergency rule following President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara for six months.

The committee is headed by Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). Abbas said the emergency rule is temporary and that Ibas should focus on maintaining law and order while ensuring basic functions of governance until democratic governance is restored.

According to him, the ex-Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) must operate with transparency and accountability, reporting all matters relating to governance to the National Assembly.

The Speaker said: “The administrator must report to the National Assembly regularly on his administration’s activities to ensure that the public interest is safeguarded.

“The ongoing emergency measures and oversight will be pivotal in ensuring the state’s smooth return to full democratic governance.” Abbas added: “The National Assembly’s intervention in Rivers State is not an instrument of political vendetta but a constitutional necessity.

“It embodies our collective duty to safeguard peace, security, and the rule of law. “We act not out of partisan interests but in the earnest service of a united and prosperous Nigeria.

“The eyes of all Nigerians are upon us, and it is incumbent upon this House, particularly on the chairman and all members of this esteemed committee, to rise to this historic challenge with courage, integrity, and determination.”