The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has annulled all pending procurement and tender processes undertaken by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.
The decision, he explained, follows the recent Supreme Court judgment and the absence of an Appropriation Law within the period.
This directive was conveyed in a Special Government House Announcement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika.
The statement read: “In adherence to the Supreme Court judgment upholding the Appeal Court ruling in Suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024 and in the absence of an Appropriation Law, the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, wishes to notify the general public that all procurement and tender processes carried out by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies during the period are hereby cancelled.”
Furthermore, the Sole Administrator directed all MDAs that conducted such tender processes to refund the tender fees to the respective contractors immediately.
“Accordingly, all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies that carried out such tender processes for projects in their respective offices are, by this special announcement, mandated to refund such tender fees to the respective contractors immediately, pending the approval of a spending plan by the state, which shall be notified in due course,” the statement added.
This decision underscores the state government’s commitment to ensuring compliance with legal and financial regulations in the absence of a formal budget.
