Falana Faults Rivers Sole Administrator attendance at NEC Meeting

Nigerian Human Rights and Senior Advocate (SAN) lawyers, Femi Falana, have sharply criticized the Federal government for allowing the only Rivers State administrator, the representative of the Ibok-Ete IBA Admiral (Retd.), To participate in the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

Ibas was present at the NEC -149 session, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, which was held at the State Building, Abuja, on Thursday.

This is a development that triggers constitutional concern.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, Falana described the presence of one -the administrator at the council meeting as a “clear violation” of the Nigerian Constitution. He stressed that NEC, as determined by the law, was strictly prepared from the elected governor, along with other members of the law, and did not recognize the position of a single administrator.

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“During the NEC meeting, where the elected governor was led by the Vice President, Rivers’s single administrator,” Falana said. “When you examine the constitution, there are no provisions for a single administrator in this body. NEC is a constitutional institution consisting of an elected governor intended to give advice to the president about critical national economic policies. This presence is not only irregular; that is not constitutional.”

Drawing parallel with historical precedents, Falana recalled that during the first Republic of Nigeria, there was an extraordinary example of civilian appointment under the National Economic Emergency Law. However, he showed, even the appointment was rooted in certain laws and did not damage the constitutional framework that govern bodies such as NEC.

“They [the Federal Government] Behave as if they can act outside the law and not face consequences, “said Falana.

Senior lawyer’s criticism emerged amid increasing concerns about constitutional violations and executive outreach at various levels of government, especially regarding the management of the ongoing political crisis in the state of Rivers.

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