By Andrew Haruna
May 21, 2025
Abuja, Nigeria
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially presented a N1.481 trillion 2025 budget proposal for Rivers State to the National Assembly for approval.
The budget transmission was formally read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary session.
This development comes as Rivers State remains under the administration of a sole administrator, retired Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas. President Tinubu appointed Ibas in March following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid a deepening political rift with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The budget proposal has sparked reactions across the country, especially within the South-South region, given the political backdrop surrounding Governor Fubara’s suspension. The Tinubu-led federal government has maintained that the action was taken to restore governance and stability in the oil-rich state, citing the need for continuity in public service delivery.
While further details of the proposed budget are expected to be scrutinised by the Appropriation Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly, political observers are keenly watching how this federal intervention will impact the state’s governance and the lingering feud between Fubara and Wike.
More reactions from lawmakers and stakeholders are anticipated as the budget is debated in the coming weeks.
