The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking approval for the issuance of N1.48 trillion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Rivers State’s 2025 fiscal year.
The move comes in response to a formal request from President Bola Tinubu, who last week urged the National Assembly to consider the budget due to the state of emergency declared in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.
The proposal is presented by Senate Leader and Chairman of the senate Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).
According to the breakdown in the bill the proposed expenditure includes:
• N120.8 billion for debt servicing,
• N287.4 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and
• N1.07 trillion for capital projects.During debate on the floor, Senator Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West) praised the budget’s focus, highlighting that over 45% of the allocation is directed toward infrastructure development.
He described the budget as a strong commitment to ensuring effective governance and uninterrupted service delivery in the state despite the emergency rule.
After a round of deliberations, the Senate adopted the bill for second reading via a voice vote and referred it to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State for further scrutiny.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the committee to submit its report within two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), along with other key state officials, is expected to appear before the Joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee to defend the budget proposal.
At the committee’s inaugural meeting, Senator Bamidele reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to preserving democratic governance and upholding the rule of law in Rivers State during the emergency period.
Chairing the 18-member committee, Senator Bamidele assured Nigerians that the Senate would safeguard the interests of the people of Rivers State and called on members to carry out their oversight duties with diligence and integrity.
