Rivers Crisis: Ibas Presents ₦1.48 Trillion Budget, Alleges Sabotage by State Officials

By Admin

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), on Wednesday presented a proposed ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee overseeing the state, revealing that his administration encountered serious obstacles due to the non-cooperation of some state officials.

Speaking during the budget presentation in Abuja, Ibas disclosed that key actors in the state bureaucracy failed to provide critical financial data, hampering the comprehensiveness of the budget.

“Unfortunately, there was reluctance from some state actors to provide essential financial data, which limited our ability to fully reflect all expenditures,” Ibas said.

Despite the challenges, he assured the committee that the budget had been prepared with all available data, maintaining a commitment to transparency and fiscal discipline under the current state of emergency in the state.

In a notable development, the budget makes provisions for political office holders currently under suspension, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, anticipating a possible return to constitutional governance.

“With the expectation that constitutional governance will soon be restored, the draft budget has preserved allocations for the roles and responsibilities of political office holders currently on suspension,” Ibas said.
“Some of these individuals have already accessed public funds during the first quarter and may return to their positions once the emergency situation ends.”

Ibas explained that the 2025 budget aligns with the Rivers State Development Plan (2017–2027), which prioritizes revenue generation, infrastructure development, human capital investment, and inclusive growth. The budget also projects internally generated revenue and federal allocations totaling ₦1.4 trillion.

The spending plan has been forwarded to the National Assembly following presidential assent and a Supreme Court ruling affirming the legality of the emergency administration’s appropriation powers.

Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee and House Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, commended Ibas for the detailed and transparent presentation, pledging the committee’s cooperation in stabilizing Rivers State.

“This committee is ready to collaborate with you to restore peace, stability, and sustainable development in Rivers State,” Ihonvbere said.
“We will thoroughly examine this budget and invite your team for further defence. While we are committed to supporting progress, we will also ensure due diligence is followed.”

He also praised the budget’s emphasis on pensions and women’s empowerment, describing those provisions as “compassionate” and directly beneficial to citizens.

“These components show compassion and foresight. They represent real efforts to meet the needs of the people,” he added.

The Rivers State budget comes at a time of deep political tension in the state following months of constitutional crisis and the imposition of a state of emergency governance structure.