Mild drama played out on Wednesday at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, as security personnel attached to the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (rtd.), staged a protest over alleged nonpayment of their entitlements.
The protest, which briefly disrupted activities, erupted while protocol officers were preparing the Administrator’s convoy for an urgent trip to Abuja. The security operatives, believing Ibas was relocating permanently, threatened to block his movement unless their outstanding benefits were settled.
Eyewitnesses said the operatives chanted and vowed to resist the Administrator’s departure until their demands were met. The protest, which was captured in videos circulating on social media, drew the attention of senior security officers who rushed to the scene.
Normalcy was later restored after senior officials intervened, assuring the operatives that Ibas was only embarking on a brief trip to Abuja and would return.
As of press time, the Rivers State Government had not issued an official statement on the incident. However, it was confirmed that the Administrator’s convoy was stationed at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, awaiting his return from an emergency meeting in Abuja.
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