Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, has resigned from office.

His resignation was announced in an early morning statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas on Tuesday.

The statement expressed appreciation for Nwaeke’s contributions to the administration of the Sole Administrator in the few days he served and wished him success in his future endeavors.

According to the statement, Permanent Secretary for Welfare in the Office of the Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Iyingi Brown has been appointed in an acting capacity until a new head of service is appointed.

While congratulating Dr. Brown on her appointment, Ibas reaffirmed his commitment to neutrality, peace, and stability in Rivers State.

The statement reads in part: “The office of His Excellency The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, is saddened to announce the resignation of the Head of Service, Rivers State, Dr George Nwaeke, FCA, Mni.

In the interim, Dr Mrs Iyingi Brown, Permanent Secretary of Welfare, Office of the Head of Service, has been appointed in an acting capacity until a new Head of Service is appointed.”

Nwaeke’s resignation comes just one week after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Ngozi Nma Ordu, and all members of the State House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Administrator has appointed Prof. Ibibia Worika as the new Secretary to the Rivers state government.

Ibas, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, said the appointment followed a careful consideration of his credentials, extensive experience and performance during rigorous selection process.

He said that Worika’s career spanned academia, international legal practice and high level policy advisory roles.

He said this made him uniquely qualified to support the Administrator in the onerous task of achieving the President Bola Tinubu’s mandate.

The federal government has recruited elite foreign military experts to train its soldiers in special operations, focusing on counterterrorism and hostage rescue.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, during the launch of a training program for 800 soldiers in Kaduna State.

Abubakar stated that beyond training, the government will equip the troops with modern technology and weapons to strengthen their ability to combat security threats.

For the first phase of the program, 800 soldiers will be trained, with another 800 scheduled to follow. The minister explained that the decision to engage foreign experts was necessary to counter the ever-evolving tactics of terrorist group.

Although he did not reveal the specific countries supplying the military experts, he confirmed that they were drawn from seven different nations.

“In the initial phase alone, 2,400 Nigerian soldiers will receive the specialized training before the program moves into its second stage”. He revealed

The minister further noted that the government’s security efforts are yielding positive results in some areas, citing Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State as an example where peace has been restored.

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, has described the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, as a failed politician.

Bwala claimed that Obi does not even know the meaning of democracy.

The statement comes after the former governor claimed that democracy in Nigeria had collapsed.

While speaking at the 60th birthday colloquium for former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, in Abuja on Monday, Obi stated that the progress made since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999 had been eroded.

However, responding to Obi’s remarks, Bwala, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, said that Obi doesn’t have a history of democratic activism from his school days to the present.

He said: “It is funny how failed politicians are trying to redefine democracy. @PeterObi said democracy has collapsed.

“Does he even know the meaning of democracy?

“When people were fighting for democracy, Gregory was buying and selling.

“He doesn’t have a history of any democratic activism from his school days to date.

“His expertise lies in instigating hate speech and vitriol.

“Talk is cheap.”