The Senate has confirmed that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, along with other key government functionaries, will appear before the Joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee to Oversee Emergency Rule in Rivers State to defend the state’s ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget.
TIME.I.NG reports that this announcement was made by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee, during the inaugural meeting of the committee held on Tuesday at the New Senate Wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Bamidele emphasised the Senate’s determination to ensure that the people of Rivers State are not deprived due to the ongoing state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu on March 18.
He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly is committed to oversight and accountability in managing the funds allocated for the state’s development during the emergency period.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that Rivers State citizens are not shortchanged because of the declaration of emergency rule,” Bamidele stated. He added that both chambers of the National Assembly have agreed to hold a joint session to oversee the 2025 budget presented by the Sole Administrator.
In a letter read during Senate plenary, President Tinubu requested the approval of the N1.48 trillion appropriation bill for Rivers State. The funds are intended to support critical sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, and the provision of free drugs.
The President’s letter outlined that this request follows the constitutional requirement for the National Assembly to assume legislative duties in any state under emergency rule, where the state legislature is suspended or non-functional.
Bamidele also highlighted that the committee would ensure financial propriety and good governance by overseeing the 2025 budget and ensuring that the sole administrator and other state officials are held accountable. “This committee will guarantee that democratic governance continues in Rivers State despite the emergency rule,” he said.
He further noted that the budget defence would involve not just the Sole Administrator but other key state officials, including the Accountant-General of Rivers State and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.
Senator Bamidele stressed the importance of diligent oversight and called on all members of the committee to ensure that the budget process remains transparent. He underscored the role of the National Assembly in guaranteeing that governance does not suffer during the period of emergency rule.
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