Reps pass Rivers' N1.4trn 2025 budget

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved N1.485 trillion as the Rivers State budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

The approval followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the House Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers State during plenary.

The Appropriation Bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Authorise the issue from the Rivers State Government Statutory Revenue Fund of the Rivers State Account, the total sum of N1.485 trillion, for the year ending 31 December 2025,” was read for the third time and passed.

It is the first budget of the state since it came under emergency rule about four months ago.

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President Bola Tinubu, had on 18 March, declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state to arrest the political crisis there.

He suspended the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly.

The president appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral and former chief of naval staff, as sole administrator for an initial period of six months.

Following the imposition of emergency rule, the National Assembly now legislate for the state.

The budget

The budget, forwarded by President Tinubu to the National Assembly in May for urgent intervention, is aimed at restoring governance and accelerating development in Rivers State amid the lingering political impasse in the state.

According to the breakdown presented by the Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), the budget allocates N256 billion for personnel costs, N162.5 billion for overhead costs and N1.06 trillion for capital expenditure.

The House dissolved into the Committee of Supply before passing the appropriation bill.

Debate

During the debate, the Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) raised an objection, arguing that the budget should only be allowed to run for the duration of the tenure of the sole administrator currently overseeing Rivers State affairs.

He maintained that the full-year appropriation would outlive the temporary nature of the interim arrangement and suggested the budget be limited in scope.

The lawmaker, who represents Obio/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State, argued that allowing the budget to run through the entire fiscal year could create legal and administrative complications if a substantive governor is eventually reinstated or elected before the year ends.

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However, his objection was countered by a former Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), who said restricting the budget to the sole administrator’s tenure would render it ineffective, limiting spending only to the administrator’s personal and operational costs, while stalling critical public projects and services.

Deputy Whip, Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun), also opposed Mr Chinda’s submission, stressing that government is a continuum and budgets must run on an annual cycle. He argued that the budget should not be tied to any specific individual in office.

Chairman of the Committee of Supply and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, echoed this sentiment. He emphasised that “a budget is for the people, not for persons,” and therefore, should not be dependent on who holds office at any given time.