By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
In a landmark move reflecting heightened federal involvement in state governance, the Senate passed a N1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year on Wednesday.
This follows the suspension of the state’s House of Assembly and the subsequent submission of the budget proposal to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
The appropriation bill was adopted after it scaled third reading, with lawmakers approving the report of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State during plenary.
The budget now awaits assent and implementation, pending executive formalities.
Tinubu, in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urged the National Assembly to consider and pass the 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill.
His intervention came amid a prolonged political crisis in the state, which culminated in the suspension of the State Assembly and the nullification of a previously presented budget by Governor Siminalayi Fubara following a Supreme Court ruling.
The newly approved budget authorises the disbursement of N1,485,662,592,442 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State.
It allocates N120.8 billion to debt servicing, N287.38 billion to recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and a substantial N1.077 trillion to capital projects—signalling a significant investment in infrastructure and economic development.
While supporting the budget’s passage, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) raised concerns about the earmarked N50 billion for outstanding pensions and gratuities.
He called on the Ad-Hoc Committee to provide stringent oversight to ensure timely disbursement to pensioners, cautioning against bureaucratic delays.
The Senate’s approval represents a pivotal step in restoring governance stability in Rivers State, as the federal government asserts a more hands-on role in subnational administration through constitutional and legislative measures.
