N1.48trn Rivers Budget: Reps query N24bn For CCTV Cameras, issue 48-Hour deadline to Sole Administrator

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers State has given Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of the state, a 48-hour ultimatum to provide detailed breakdowns of key allocations in the 2025 N1.48 trillion Appropriation Bill.

During a budget defence session in Abuja on Monday, the committee’s chairman, Julius Ihonvbere, raised serious concerns about several budget items, including the N24 billion set aside for CCTV installations at the Government House and N30 billion earmarked for gunboats, demanding explanations for the figures.

Ihonvbere also insisted on the submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which by law should precede any budget presentation.

He questioned the N23 billion allocated for contingency reserves and sought clarification on the allocation of state funds to federal projects without a formal agreement for refunds.

The committee further demanded a report on Rivers State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the past three months to evaluate the state’s financial capacity to support its ambitious budget and requested details on the management of local government funds under the state’s care.

“These documents must reach us within 48 hours. Rest assured we are united in our interest to get Rivers working again and to ensure that public funds are used with full accountability,” Ihonvbere stated.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for his intervention in the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State and emphasized the importance of protecting the interests of every citizen, including those in remote areas.

Responding to the lawmakers, Andrew Nweke, the Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Policy, who represented Ibas, explained that many of the budgetary provisions were inherited by the Sole Administrator’s team and were designed based on needs assessments by state implementation agencies.

He defended the N30 billion allocation for gunboats, citing the unique security challenges along Rivers’ waterways.