The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers State has given the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), 48 hours to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the N1.48 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill.
Chairman of the committee and House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo), issued the directive during a budget defence session held on Monday in Abuja. He noted several red flags in the proposed budget and requested clarifications on major allocations and fiscal processes.
Among the queried items were ₦24 billion allocated for CCTV installations at the Government House, ₦30 billion for gunboat procurement, and ₦23 billion set aside as contingency reserves. Ihonvbere demanded specific justifications and documentation for these figures.
He further called for the submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), stressing that the document is legally required before any budget presentation. He also raised concerns about state funding of federal projects without formal agreements or reimbursement terms with the Federal Government.
“We need additional details for those allocations,” Ihonvbere said. “We request details of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last three months… and how local government funds are currently being managed.”
He emphasized that the documents must be submitted within 48 hours and reiterated the committee’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and protecting the interests of all Rivers residents.
Representing the sole administrator, Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Policy, Andrew Nweke, told the committee that most items in the budget were inherited. He added that the allocations were based on needs assessments conducted by implementing agencies, especially in light of the state’s unique challenges.
According to him, the ₦30 billion allocated for gunboats is to strengthen security along the waterways in support of national security agencies.
What you should know
The House committee’s 48-hour ultimatum signals growing scrutiny of Rivers State’s spending plan under the sole administration. Key concerns include transparency in large budget allocations and the absence of standard fiscal frameworks such as the MTEF.
