Apex Niger Delta socio-cultural group, the Orashi National Congress, ONC, has hailed the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, for barring the Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibasa, from inaugurating the newly confirmed Chairman and members of the Rivers State Service Commission pending the court’s judgment in a suit instituted before it.
Presiding Judge, Justice Frank Onyiri, issued the caution after parties addressed and adopted their final written addresses on the suit by Chairman and members of Rivers State Service Commission appointed by the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, challenging their suspension by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
It is interesting to note that Justice Frank Onyiri, after ordering parties to maintain the existing status quo, issued sometime in April adjourned till the 29th of September, 2025, for judgment.
The claimants, who are Reverend GOODLIFE IDUOKU BEN, AMADI CHRISTIAN ECHELE, CHIMENEM WISDOM JEROME and three others, are challenging what they described as their illegal sack by the sole administrator, and move to place them without due process.
The claimants contend that they were legally appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly, and that before they were issued letters of appointment by the Governor, a record of their confirmation was on file with the Clerk of the House.
According to their affidavit, signed by the suspended Chairman GOODLIFE IDUOKU BEN, the claimants are insisting that the sole administrator lacks the legal powers to suspend them and appoint a new chairman and members of the commission.
The defendants in the suits are the Sole Administrator of the state, IBOK-ETE IBAS, Accountant General, Access Bank, Zenith Bank and eleven others.
According to the ONC, this is a welcome development, saying that the law should have total affect.