The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers is clearly not playing around. They've issued a firm 48-hour ultimatum to the state's Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Eke Ibas, demanding a comprehensive breakdown of major items tucked into the colossal N1.48 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill. This isn't just a routine query; it's a real spotlight on how Rivers' finances are being managed, and it feels pretty high-stakes.
Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo), who chairs the committee and serves as the House Majority Leader, laid down the law Monday during a budget defence session right here in Abuja. He stated that after reviewing the budget as presented by Ibas, the committee had, and frankly, I’m not surprised, "raised several issues." One crucial document missing, he pointed out, was the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which is legally required to precede any budget presentation. That’s a pretty fundamental omission, you'd think.
Ihonvbere didn't hold back on the specific allocations that caught the committee’s eye. He openly questioned the hefty N24 billion earmarked for CCTV cameras intended for the state government house, explicitly demanding a detailed breakdown of that expense. And it wasn't just security cameras; the allocation of N30 billion for the purchase of gunboats also raised eyebrows, with the committee chairman requesting a clear justification for such a significant sum. Another big-ticket item was the N23 billion pegged for contingency reserves, which naturally needs explanation. Plus, the committee observed and questioned the allocation of state funds to existing federal projects without any formal agreement with the Federal Government, including the matter of potential refunds. You'd think there should be some sort of handshake on that, wouldn't you?
Beyond those specific expenditures, Ihonvbere’s committee is digging deeper into the state’s financial flows. “We need additional details for those allocations,” he insisted. “We request details of state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last three months to enable us to know your financial flows so that we can weigh them against the deficit in the budget in terms of financing it and carrying out some of the projects.” He also pressed for specifics on how local government funds are being managed. "We also need details of transfers to local governments, essentially, how local government funds that come into the state are being managed at the moment,” Ihonvbere added, highlighting a key area of local governance that often gets overlooked.
The urgency was palpable. “Those documents we have requested must reach us within 48 hours; rest assured that we are all on the same side in terms of getting Rivers working again,” Ihonvbere affirmed. He made it clear that the committee’s objective isn’t just about numbers; it's about transparency and ensuring the well-being of the populace. "We want to ensure that we will promote a lot of accountability and ensure that the interest of the people themselves, no matter how remote they are from the state capital, are protected,” he concluded, a commendable sentiment given the state’s recent political turbulences. The lawmaker even took a moment to commend President Bola Tinubu for his timely intervention, which, he noted, brought about some peace between the suspended Executive and Legislature in Rivers State.
Earlier in the session, Ibas, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Policy, Andrew Nweke, offered some context. Nweke explained that the administration "inherited many of the items in the budget," suggesting a continuity from previous fiscal planning. He also stated that the budget reflected the interests of Rivers people, asserting it was crafted in line with a needs assessment conducted by various implementation agencies. Nweke emphasized that Rivers has a lot of "peculiarities," pointing out that the N30 billion earmarked for gunboats was specifically to beef up security agencies in their ongoing fight against insecurity along the state’s waterways. While an explanation, the committee's demand for a detailed breakdown shows they aren't content with just broad statements.
