By Ayomide Otitoju
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), has appointed Prof. Ibibia Worika as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
A statement from the Rivers State Government on Monday confirmed that Worika’s appointment takes immediate effect, following a rigorous selection process in which his legal expertise, administrative experience, and policy background stood out.
In a related development, Iyingi Brown has been appointed as Permanent Secretary for Welfare in the Office of the Head of Service, where she will serve as acting Head of Service pending a substantive appointment.
Brown’s appointment follows the resignation of George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service. The government commended Nwaeke for his service and wished him well in his future endeavors.
The Sole Administrator reaffirmed his commitment to fostering peace and stability in Rivers State and emphasized the importance of leveraging the state’s human capital to drive governance.
Profile of Prof. Ibibia Worika
Prof. Ibibia Worika, an Okrika-born scholar, is a globally recognized legal expert specializing in environmental and petroleum law.
He holds a Ph.D. in International Environmental and Comparative Petroleum Law & Policy from the University of Dundee, UK and currently serves as Director of the Centre for Advanced Law Research at Rivers State University. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt.
Beyond academia, Prof. Worika has played a key role in shaping international legal and energy policies. He has served as:
Senior Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, providing counsel on energy policy and governance.
General Legal Counsel for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Vienna.
Consultant for governments in Namibia, Malawi, and Guyana, assisting in legal framework development.
For his contributions, Prof. Worika has received several distinctions, including the OPEC Secretariat Award for Distinguished Service and an honorary title from the Ogu Council of Chiefs in Rivers State.
