The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, on Thursday disclosed that some officials of the state government withheld critical financial records needed to capture the expenditures incurred by the state in the first quarter of 2025.
However, the Leader of the Senate and Chairman Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Oversight of Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, observed that emergency rule “is not a replacement for democratic government, but an extraordinary measure to ensure peace and security in Rivers State”.
The two top functionaries expressed these views on Thursday at the defence of the 2025 Appropriation Bill before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Oversight of Emergency Rule in Rivers State at New Senate Building, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in Rivers, citing protracted political crisis and its consequences on the national economy and security.
Subsequently, the President of the Senate, President Godswill Akpabio, constituted an 18-member Committee on Oversight of Emergency Rule in Rivers State under the chairmanship of Senator Bamidele.
The members of the ad-hoc committee comprise the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Munguno; Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwebonyi; Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero; Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa; and Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru.
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Defending the 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill on Thursday, the sole administrator observed that the budget proposal before the ad-hoc committee “may not be a perfect document given the time and circumstances of its development”.
Regrettably, Ibas further observed, some state officials withheld critical information required to ensure a more complete capture of those expenditures undertaken in the first quarter at the time of submission of the budget estimates.
However, the sole administrator added that the budget under consideration aligned with the strategic objectives outlined in the Rivers State Development Plan (2017-2027).
He said the budget estimates presented “an integrated framework to strengthen revenue mobilisation, accelerate infrastructure delivery, enhance human capital and promote inclusive economic growth.
“The budget is crafted as a people-centred fiscal blueprint, responsive to present challenges and future development imperatives.
“We are optimistic that implementing the budget proposal will deliver great socioeconomic benefits for the people of Rivers State.”
Also at the budget defence on Thursday, Bamidele emphasised the resolve of the ad-hoc committee to carry out a continuous oversight on the state till emergency rule is over.
He observed that emergency rule “is not a replacement for democratic government in any political climate. Rather, it is an extraordinary measure designed to restore order in times of disorder, peace in place of conflict and stability instead of instability.
“And its application, as it is in Rivers State, is not by fiat as some people have insinuated, but in consistency with Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other relevant laws that guide all the interventions of the Presidency and National Assembly.”
Bamidele, therefore, noted that the authority of the Senate also mandated the ad-hoc committee mandate “to track how allocated resources in the budget would be utilised for the benefits of people of Rivers State.
“As representatives of the people, we are not only tasked with evaluating figures, but also with ensuring the faithful budget execution.
“It is our mandate to track how allocated resources are utilised project-by-project, sector-by-sector to guarantee transparency and uphold accountability in the use of public funds.
“This means that our engagement today on the Rivers State 2025 Appropriation Bill does not end here.
“We shall, in the coming months, assess the performance of the budget by closely monitoring disbursements, execution timelines, and delivery outcomes.
“Our objective is to ensure that approved funds translate into meaningful development and that deviations or delays are addressed promptly in the overriding public interest.
“Beyond the numbers, we must also evaluate the real world impact of this budget on the everyday lives of the people of Rivers State. In times of political uncertainty and emergency governance, government actions must not only be lawful, but also people-centred.
“We must ask: will this budget deliver proven roads, healthcare, education, safety, and livelihoods for the people?
“This, ultimately, is how we build trust in government and public institutions like ours.
“When citizens can feel the dividends of democracy when allocations on paper become tangible solutions on the ground.
“Their faith in governance is renewed.
“It is this trust we must work to restore and strengthen through our recommendations and sustained legislative vigilance.”
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