The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Oversight of Rivers State has questioned the state’s Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, over several allocations in the ₦1.48 trillion 2025 state budget including ₦24 billion allocated for CCTV systems in the Government House.
During a budget defence session at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday, the committee raised concerns about:
* ₦24 billion allocated for CCTV systems in the Government House.
* ₦30 billion earmarked for the procurement of gunboats.
* ₦23 billion designated for contingencies.
Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman of the Committee and House Majority Leader, said these areas required clarification following the appearance of the state’s delegation.
A statement by the House spokesman, Rep Akin Rotimi on Monday night, revealed that the committee identified grey areas including “₦24bn allocated for the installation of CCTV systems at the Rivers State Government House, ₦30bn earmarked for the procurement of gunboats and ₦23bn listed under a contingency provision without detailed justification.”
The Committee also faulted the decision of the Rivers State Government to fund projects constitutionally under the purview of the Federal Government, allegedly “Without prior agreement or expectation of reimbursement.”
The House leader argued that such expenditures require proper justification and legal backing to ensure fiscal prudence.
The Committee thereafter gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the Rivers State Government to submit “A detailed breakdown and justification for the highlighted expenditure items; a copy of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework as a statutory document that should precede any budget presentation.”
Others include: “Detailed records of monthly federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenue from January to June 2025, with specific attention to IGR over the past three months to assess fiscal flows and financing capacity.
“Full disclosure on the management of local government funds, including the legal and administrative frameworks currently in place.
“Documentary evidence of financial transfers made to each of the 23 Local Government Area and all records related to the Airforce Base Agreement referenced during the budget presentation.”
Ihonvbere restated the duty of the Ad-hoc Committee in safeguarding the interest of the people and the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly in matters of financial oversight.
“We want to ensure that we promote accountability and that the interests of the people, no matter how remote they are from the state capital, are protected. Be assured that we are all on the same side in terms of getting Rivers working again.”
Responding on behalf of the Sole Administrator, the Special Adviser on Strategy and Policy, Mr. Andrew Nweke, explained that many of the items in the 2025 budget were inherited and were based on needs assessments conducted by relevant implementation agencies.
He said: “The ₦30bn allocated for gunboats was intended to support security agencies combating insecurity in the state’s waterways.
“The ₦23bn contingency fund was meant to address emergency challenges, including recurrent flooding and other unforeseen developments.
“The ₦24bn CCTV installation was considered necessary to modernise surveillance infrastructure and provide robust security for the office of the governor.”
He further assured the committee that all documents requested would be made available promptly to facilitate the legislative process.
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