The 2025 budget of N1.48 trillion proposed by the Rivers State emergency administration has passed second reading at the Senate.
The senators passed the appropriation bill after debating its general principles during the plenary on Wednesday.
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The budget proposal, which was transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on 22 May through a letter read during plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, seeks to authorise spending focused on infrastructure, education, agriculture, and healthcare in the 2025 fiscal year.
According to the breakdown, N287 billion is allocated for recurrent expenditure. N1.072 trillion for capital expenditure and N120.8 billion for debt service.
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Further breakdown showed that N324 billion is allocated for infrastructure, both ongoing and new projects. N166 billion for the health sector, including N5 billion for free drugs for treatment of malaria and other common ailments. N75.6 billion is earmarked for the educational sector, and N31.4 billion is proposed for agricultural purposes.
In the letter, President Tinubu noted that the budget is designed to stimulate growth and job creation, with an estimated 6,000 jobs expected to be generated from investments in these sectors.
During the plenary, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), led the debate on the general principles of the bill.
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Mr Bamidele highlighted the budget’s strategic focus on priority sectors critical to Rivers State’s development and stability during the emergency administration period.
The senate leader, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the passage of the 2025 Rivers State budget proposal.
Most senators supported the budget during the debate and voted to pass it for a second reading.
Mr Akpabio referred the budget to the Senate ad-hoc committee overseeing the emergency rule in Rivers State and directed the committee to report back within two weeks.
The 18-member committee chaired by Mr Bamidele had earlier on Tuesday pledged to ensure fairness and adherence to democratic principles as it begins considering the state’s 2025 budget.
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As part of its resolutions, the committee, which was inaugurated on 6 May, also announced that the sole administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, will appear before the joint ad-hoc committee of both the Senate and House of Representatives to defend the budget before it is considered for approval.
Rivers emergency rule
In March, President Bola Tinubu suspended all elected officials in Rivers State, including the governor, Siminilayi Fubara.
The president also appointed Mr Ibas, a retired chief of naval staff, as the sole administrator for the state for an initial period of six months.
Both chambers of the National Assembly later ratified the appointment in accordance with Section 305(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The House of Representatives had earlier, on 15 April, inaugurated its committee chaired by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to oversee the emergency rule.
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