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By Macderson Brown
Austin Ezekiel-Hart, during the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State (imposed in early 2025 amid a political crisis, leading to the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (rtd) as Sole Administrator), faced significant pressures to compromise civil service due process and engage in actions that flouted established rules and ethical standards.
Unlike some other Permanent Secretaries who aided or supported illegalities — such as undermining governance procedures and prioritizing political directives over legality, Ezekiel-Hart refused to yield.
He stood firmly by his professional integrity, defending his superior (Governor Siminalayi Fubara) in a lawful and principled manner, even as the Emergency administration sought to override standard protocols.
This defiance was not overt rebellion but a steadfast commitment to truth, fairness, and civil service values, resisting any directive that would violate the law, regardless of its source.
Governor Fubara explicitly commended this during Ezekiel-Hart’s swearing-in on October 3, 2025, stating it was the reason for his merit-based elevation to Permanent Secretary, Government House, emphasizing that, “you chose to be a professional” amid the chaos.
This act of upholding legality served as a counter to the broader instability, where court challenges (at least five cases) contested the Sole Administrator’s powers and actions, including injunctions preventing his full resumption.
Brown sent in this piece from Bonny
