Thursday, June 26, 2025 - The N1.485 trillion 2025 budget for Rivers State was approved by the Senate today, June 25.
Following consideration of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers
State report by the upper chamber during the Committee of Supply session, the
passage was made.
The purpose of the bill is to authorize the issuance of
N1,485,662,592,442 from Rivers State's Consolidated Revenue Fund for the fiscal
year that ends on December 31, 2025.
The approved budget breakdown includes N120.8 billion for
debt servicing, N287.38 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and
N1.077 trillion for capital expenditure.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), however, expressed
concern about the extra 50 billion naira designated for the payment of unpaid
pensions and gratuities even though he supported the bill's passage.
He called on the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to exercise
stricter oversight in order to guarantee that the money gets to the legitimate
pension recipients as soon as possible.
Now, the Rivers State 2025 budget will move forward for
approval and execution.
President Bola Tinubu suspended the state's House of
Assembly and sent the 2025 Appropriations Bill for Rivers State to the National
Assembly for review in May.
Recall that after a lengthy political dispute between the
state governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister
of the Federal Capital Territory, the president proclaimed a state of emergency
in Rivers State on March 18. In his announcement, President Tinubu suspended
the state governor and state House of Assembly members.
Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) was then named
administrator by the President to oversee state affairs for the first six
months.
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