The Senate has approved the Rivers State 2025 Appropriation Bill, pegged at ₦1.48 trillion, following the presentation of a report by the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Oversight of Emergency Rule in Rivers.
Presenting the report, Senate Leader and Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, clarified that emergency rule is not a replacement for democratic governance, but a constitutional response aimed at restoring order during periods of instability.
Bamidele defended the invocation of emergency rule in Rivers State, stating it was carried out in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the President and the National Assembly to take action in the interest of national stability. He stressed that neither the President nor the legislature had overstepped their constitutional bounds.
“It was within this constitutional context that the Senate, under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, deemed it necessary to establish the ad hoc committee to oversee the emergency rule implementation in Rivers,” Bamidele said.
According to him, Section 11(4) of the Constitution permits the National Assembly to legislate for a state whose House of Assembly is unable to function. He said this provision applied to the current situation in Rivers State.
The committee found the Rivers 2025 budget aligned with the goals of the emergency rule—specifically, to stabilise governance and maintain public services. Bamidele noted that 72% of the budget was allocated to capital projects, reflecting efforts to drive economic recovery and public sector reforms.
He also highlighted a ₦50 billion provision to offset part of a ₦147 billion backlog in pension and gratuity payments.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau commended the committee, calling the report well-structured and professionally executed. He described Bamidele’s work as befitting a true leader of the Senate.
Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, also praised the budget’s capital expenditure focus, saying it demonstrated the interim government’s commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, lauded the committee’s swift work and expressed optimism that the projects funded under the budget would bring peace, development, and prosperity to the people of Rivers State.
What you should know
The Senate’s approval of Rivers State’s ₦1.48 trillion budget under emergency rule follows constitutional provisions that allow federal oversight when state assemblies cannot perform their duties. The budget emphasizes infrastructure, pensions, and economic recovery.
