The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), is set to defend the state’s ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget before the Joint National Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule.
The committee, established to oversee federal governance in Rivers following the declaration of a state of emergency, held its inaugural meeting this week at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Chairing the committee is Senate Leader and Senator representing Ekiti Central, Opeyemi Bamidele, who reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to ensuring that the people of Rivers State are not deprived of good governance despite the suspension of the state’s democratic institutions.
In a statement issued by the Senate on Tuesday, Bamidele emphasized transparency and accountability in handling the emergency administration’s budget. He stressed that the committee’s role is to scrutinize the proposed spending plan and ensure that public funds will be used strictly for the benefit of the citizens.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a formal communication to both chambers of the National Assembly last week, requested legislative approval of a ₦1.48 trillion appropriation bill for Rivers State.
The proposal follows the imposition of emergency rule in the oil-rich South-South state on March 18, 2025, citing severe political instability and governance breakdown.
The President, in his letter read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, explained that the budget is designed to cover critical sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare (including free drug provision), and social services during the emergency period.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional provisions, when a state is placed under emergency rule, the National Assembly assumes full legislative powers for that state — including budget approval — in the absence of a functional State House of Assembly.
The 18-member Ad Hoc Committee, constituted by Akpabio shortly after the emergency was declared, includes several influential lawmakers. Among those present at the inaugural meeting were:
Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Munguno, Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Peter Nwebonyi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero,, Chairperson, Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Senator Oluranti Adebule, Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru.
Senator Bamidele reassured citizens that the budget review would be thorough and guided by national interest. “Our goal is not only to approve figures but to ensure that the emergency administration in Rivers is people-centered, accountable, and result-driven,” he said.
Vice Admiral Ibas and his team are expected to provide detailed breakdowns of the proposed expenditure and justify the allocation across various sectors. The National Assembly’s final decision will significantly shape governance in Rivers State during the emergency period, as Nigeria watches closely how this rare federal intervention unfolds.
