The Nigerian Senate, has disclosed that about 85 per cent of the N1.48 trillion 2025 budget submitted by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), was originally drawn out by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led administration.
Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on Oversight of Rivers State emergency rule, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele made this known on Thursday when Ibas appeared before the Committee to defend the State’s 2025 budget proposal.
Senator Bamidele said at least 85% of the budget estimate being sent to the Senate was already drafted by Gov Fubara before the declaration of the emergency rule.
He said the mandate of the Committee is to ensure Rivers State is governed in line with the provisions of the1999 Constitution and democratic tenets.
According to the Senate Leader, the Rivers State 2025 appropriation bill was presented to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday 27th May 2025.
“The appropriation bill was read on Wednesday 28th May for the second time on the floor of the Senate and referred to the Adhoc committee with the mandate to conduct further legislative action and report its recommendations back to the Senate within one week”.
The lawmaker emphasized that the budget will define the direction of governance, intervention and infrastructure renewal in the state.
Spark News Daily reports that an aggregate sum of N1.48 trillion was presented, compared to N793.457bn appropriated for 2024. The budget represents an increase of 86.63%.
Of the total budget is N1.072 trillion for Capital expenditure, accounting for about 72.43% of the total expenditures. Also a total sum of N408.412 billion is earmarked for recurrent expenditure, invariably accounting for 27.56% of the aggregate spending.
While defending the budget, Ibas noted that the budget proposal demonstrates commitment and resilience through strategic allocations across critical sectors such as works, health, education, among others.
According to him, the budget reflects not just fiscal planning, but a strategic repositioning of Rivers State’s sustainable growth, social cohesion and renewed contract between government and his people.