Rivers govt revokes N134bn contract awarded by Ibas, demands N20bn refund

The Rivers State Executive Council has revoked a N134 billion contract awarded during the tenure of the former sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ikot Ete Ibas (retd), for the reconstruction of the State Secretariat complex in Port Harcourt.

The contract, which had been granted to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) during the period of emergency administration under Ibas, was nullified by the Council at its meeting on Thursday.

Following the cancellation, the Council instructed CCECC to refund the N20 billion mobilisation fee it had received for the project.

In a related development, the Council approved the formation of a six-member committee headed by Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu to identify and recommend suitable sites for the construction of Computer-Based Test centres across the state to facilitate external examinations.

Additionally, the Council directed the state’s flood control committee—also chaired by Odu—to take immediate steps to address flooding in affected areas and cautioned residents against obstructing drainage channels.