The Senate has vowed strict oversight of Rivers State’s ₦1.48 trillion emergency 2025 budget.
Lawmakers say funds must deliver real results as normal governance remains suspended in the state.
The Nigerian Senate has promised to closely monitor the use of the ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget submitted by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired). This oversight effort comes as part of the legislature’s duties during the emergency rule currently in place in the state.
During a budget defence session held at the National Assembly on Thursday, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who chairs the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Governance in Rivers, stressed that the Senate would ensure that the budget is fully implemented and that the funds are used to improve the lives of residents.
Bamidele, who also serves as the Senate Leader, said the legislature would go beyond reviewing documents to track how the money is spent across all sectors. He explained that the focus would be on results that citizens can feel, especially during a time when normal democratic governance is temporarily suspended in the state.
“This is not just about going through numbers,” Bamidele said. “Nigerians expect us to make sure that the money provided in the 2025 budget is used wisely. We will look at every project and every sector to make sure the people of Rivers benefit from this intervention.”
He added that Thursday’s budget defense was only the beginning of a long process. The committee would continue to review the progress made on projects in the coming months. According to him, they will monitor not just how money is released, but also how fast work is done, whether deadlines are met, and if the planned outcomes are achieved.
“Our goal is to ensure that the 2025 budget leads to better roads, improved hospitals, good schools, stronger security, and better living conditions for the people of Rivers State,” Bamidele said.
He also took the opportunity to clear up confusion around the emergency rule declared in the state by President Bola Tinubu. According to the senator, the emergency rule is a legal and temporary step taken to protect the state and restore peace when the normal system of government is disrupted.
“Let it be clear that this is not about ending democracy,” he explained. “Emergency rule is provided for in the Nigerian Constitution under Section 305. It is used only when absolutely necessary to bring stability and peace.”
Vice Admiral Ibas, during the same session, raised serious concerns about missing documents and poor recordkeeping from the 2024 budget cycle. He said that the absence of financial records from the previous administration is making it difficult to properly plan and implement the 2025 budget.
“The lack of budget performance data from last year is making our job harder,” Ibas told lawmakers. “We are facing a situation where important records are either missing or being withheld, which limits our ability to move forward with transparency.”
He added that some officials from the past administration have refused to provide vital information needed for planning, making it harder to restore full governance during this period of emergency rule.
Earlier, on May 28, the 2025 budget proposal was passed for a second reading in the Senate and was immediately referred to the ad-hoc committee for detailed examination. The panel is expected to submit its findings within one week.
Ibas had already appeared before a similar committee in the House of Representatives, where he made the same points about administrative gaps and the need for urgent intervention.
With growing attention on Rivers State, many citizens are now looking to the National Assembly to make sure that the emergency budget not only restores order but also improves daily life for the people.
