High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, a Niger Delta elder statesman and former spokesperson of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has accused Retired Naval Admiral Ibok of exploiting Rivers State during the six months of emergency rule in the state. He alleged that the period was marked by massive looting of public funds, leaving Rivers people deprived of resources that should have been used for their development.
Sara-Igbe made this revelation during an interview on SYMFONI TV, where he reflected on the events that occurred under the emergency administration.
According to him, the appointment of an outsider to take charge of the state’s affairs during that turbulent period was not only an affront to the people of Rivers but also a deliberate move that created room for economic exploitation. He maintained that the state lost huge sums of money through reckless spending and financial mismanagement under the watch of Admiral Ibok.
The Niger Delta leader further explained that the federal allocation to the state, along with internally generated revenue, was diverted without accountability. He expressed concern that the plundering of such vast sums left behind scars that still affect the socio-economic wellbeing of Rivers people today.
“He came with a retired Naval Admiral, Ibok. And he came to plunder all our resources. After plundering all our resources, at least he collected N250 billion from the Federation account including derivations and also collected another N200 billion from internally generated revenue,” Sara-Igbe said.