A fresh wave of crisis is rocking the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) following explosive revelations that the embattled and illegally appointed Sole Administrator, Mr. Ndu Walter, is covertly orchestrating a backdoor employment scheme to insert loyalists of the FCT Minister into the council’s workforce. The move has been widely condemned as unlawful, vindictive, and a desperate grab for power.
A senior council insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Mr. Walter has finalized plans to smuggle in handpicked allies of the FCT Minister in an attempt to entrench political stooges throughout the local government. These appointments reportedly violate civil service rules and completely sidestep due process, raising alarm about the erosion of governance standards in Rivers State.
Even more troubling, sources revealed that Walter has issued directives to sideline, suspend, or entirely remove from the payroll any council staff deemed disloyal to the FCT Minister. This wave of administrative intimidation has plunged the council into a climate of fear and uncertainty.
“This man came in with a vengeance agenda,” the source said. “If you’re not dancing to the FCT Minister’s tune, you’re either suspended, queried, or your name disappears from the payroll. That’s how bad things have gotten.”
The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Obio/Akpor has vowed to fight back. Union leaders say they are determined to resist these clandestine moves and expose every illegal action taken by the administrator.
“This is a direct assault on local government autonomy. We will not stand by and watch Abuja loyalists infiltrate our institutions through illegal appointments,” a union member stated.
These developments are fueling broader fears about the real agenda of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas Ekwe (rtd), the controversial Sole Administrator of Rivers State. Ekwe has come under intense scrutiny for bypassing constitutional provisions and National Assembly directives by installing sole administrators across LGAs—many of whom are alleged to be cronies of the FCT Minister.
Analysts believe this latest scandal confirms long-held suspicions: that the appointment of these sole administrators is a calculated effort to hijack local government structures in Rivers State and place them under the control of politically aligned figures from Abuja.
“The question on every Rivers person’s lips is simple: Who gave Ibas Ekwe the mandate to hand over our LGAs to the FCT Minister?” a prominent Port Harcourt-based political analyst asked. “His pattern of appointments reeks of sabotage, and his silence on the misconduct of people like Ndu Walter speaks volumes.”
With rising public anger over the imposition of unelected administrators and increasing calls for accountability, this latest revelation could be the tipping point for mass resistance across the state.
The people of Obio/Akpor—and indeed all of Rivers State—are now watching closely. Grassroots governance must not be sacrificed on the altar of political loyalty and power grabs. The actions of Ndu Walter and Vice Admiral Ibas Ekwe (rtd) could mark the beginning of a larger showdown in Rivers politics.
