Rivers N1.48trn 2025 budget scale second reading at Senate 

The Rivers State 2025 budget of N1.48 trillion submitted to the Senate on Wednesday scaled the second reading.

The budget was presented by Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader, on Wednesday.

Bamidele explained that the Senate had assumed legislative powers over Rivers State following the declaration of a state of emergency in the troubled Southsouth oil-rich state.

Supporting the motion, Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (Ogun West) highlighted the importance of promptly passing the budget so that the citizens of Rivers State can feel the positive impact of governance.

He said: “Mr. President, I am not exactly sure under what title this document is categorised, but from what I can see, it pertains to a budget under the state of emergency. I hereby support its passage for second reading so that the people of Rivers can feel the presence of government.”

Following unanimous support, Senate President Godswill Akpabio conducted a voice vote and referred the budget to the Ad-hoc Committee on Overseeing the Rivers State of Emergency for additional legislative scrutiny.

Persecondnews had earlier reported that the Senate announced on Tuesday that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, along with other key state officials, would appear before a Joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee to defend the state’s 2025 budget.

President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, in a bid to end the power struggle between former Gov. Nyesom Wike and his estranged successor, Gov. Siminalayi Fubara.

The prolonged power struggle led to nearly two years of political instability in the state, culminating in a legislature-Executive deadlock.

In addition to declaring a state of emergency, the President suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months.

Following this, the newly appointed administrator, Ibas, arrived in Rivers State on March 20, having been sworn in by Tinubu the previous day, March 19.