Move to limit Rivers 2025 budget to 6 months fails

The move to limit Rivers State 2025 Budget to six months failed in the House of Representatives as the Green Chamber passed the appropriation bill for one full years. The House on Tuesday approved and passed the N1.485 trillion Rivers state budget for the 2025 fiscal year. That followed the consideration and adoption of the […]

The move to limit Rivers State 2025 Budget to six months failed in the House of Representatives as the Green Chamber passed the appropriation bill for one full years.

The House on Tuesday approved and passed the N1.485 trillion Rivers state budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

That followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the House Ad–hoc Committee Oversighting Rivers state plenary.

The report showed that out of the total sum, N256 billion is allocated for personnel costs, N162.5 billion for overhead costs, while the sum of N1.06 trillion is earmarked for capital expenditure.

However, the move to restrict the budget to the six months within which Governor Sim Fubara had been suspend following a declaration of state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) was appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State could not work.

This as report of the House Ad–hoc Committee on Rivers State chaired by the House Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere which was approved by the Committee on Supply and passed for third reading showed the budget runs through December 31, 2025.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Ad–hoc Committee on Rivers State on 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, 662, 592, 444. 00) one trillion, four hundred and eighty–five billion, six hundred and sixty–two million, five hundred and ninety–two thousand , four hundred and forty–four Naira, only while the sum of (N256, 423, 694,639. 00) two hundred and fifty–six billion, four hundred and twenty–three million, six hundred and ninety–four thousand, six hundred and thirty– nine Naira only is for Personnel Cost, the sum of (N162, 582, 693,678. 00) one hundred and sixty– two billion, five hundred and eighty–two million, six hundred and ninety–three thousand, six hundred and seventy–eight Naira only is for Overhead Cost, while the sum of (N1, 066, 656, 204.127) one trillion, sixty–six million, six hundred and fifty–six thousand , two hundred and four Naira, one hundred and twenty–seven Kobo only is for Capital Expenditure for the year ending 31 December,
2025 (HB.2397) (Laid: 22/7/2025) – Committee of Supply,” it reads.

Meanwhile, Rivers indigenes have expressed shocked over the strange allocation of over N70 billion to the home Obiakpor LGA of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike for unarmed roads.

Some of the indigenes said: “We totally shocked that the House of Representatives has allocated the whooping sum of N70 billion to the
Obiakpor LGA of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike for unarmed roads.

“As shocking as this could be the federal legislature which take over the legislative oversight of the Rivers State Administration headed by a retired Naval Chief following the suspension of the democratically elected Governor Fubara could allocate such a humongous amount to local government of the minister. This is the height of legislative impunity and rascality.

“The Ad-Hoc Committee claimed that after a thorough review of the proposed budget, it made the following adjustments: A total of N35,000,000,000—originally allocated under the Government
House budget for security surveillance, renewable power supply (N19.5 billion), and procurement of gunboats (15.5 billion}—was removed.

“N35,000,000,000 was deducted from the N85, 000 000 000 proposed as the Government House security vote.

“The combined sum of N70,000,000,000 recovered from these deductions was allocated to more impactful infrastructure projects as follows:

“N25,000,000,000 to the Ministry of Special Projects for the completion of Phase 1 of the Elelenwo Internal Roads in Obioakpor LGA. N25,000,000,000 to the Ministry of Special Projects for the construction of Phase 2 of the Elelenwo Internal Roads in Obio-Akpor LGA.

“N420,000,000,000 to the Ministry of Special Projects for the construct on and rehabilitation of internal and rural roads in selected Local Government Areas and rural communities across the State.”