THE Senate has passed N1.485 trillion 2025 appropriation bill for Rivers State.
The budget estimate was passed during plenary on Wednesday, June 25, after lawmakers considered the report of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers State.
The bill seeks to authorise the issuance of N1,485,662,592,442 from the consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
The ICIR reported that President Tinubu had sought the Senate approval for the bill, two months after he suspended the state House of Assembly and the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the approval following a voice vote after the bill scaled its third reading.
Accordingly, the Senate leader and chair of the Ad hoc Committee, Opeyemi Bamidele, presented the report and outlined a budget framework targeting urgent needs in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, and security under the emergency administration.
The budget breakdown shows that N120.8 billion is earmarked for debt servicing, N287.38 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, while N1.077 trillion will be invested in capital projects.
In his submission, the senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, expressed reservations that the state had a deficit of N147 billion for pensions.
He urged the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to conduct more rigorous oversight to ensure that the funds reach the rightful pension beneficiaries without delay.
“I’m delighted that the committee has made this handsome provision of N50 billion. I could see my reservation on a very rich state like Rivers having a deficit of N147 billion, rightly enumerated by the committee,” he said.
“A lot of people are dependent on this pension and gratuity, and when you see a deficit of N147 billion, a sum of N50 billion is good enough, but let the committee see it as a priority — making sure that that money is out, then disbursed to the beneficiaries promptly,” he added.
No senator objected to the revised budget estimate during the debate.
The bill now awaits presidential assent and subsequent implementation.
Recall, on June 11, Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers, while briefing the senate, said the budget included provisions for Siminalayi Fubara, suspended governor of the state, and other political officeholders.
It would be noted that in anticipation of the eventual return to constitutional order, the draft budget retains provisions for the offices and functions of suspended political actors, some of whom have already drawn on allocated resources in the first quarter and are expected to resume their duties at the expiration of the emergency period.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.