The Senate has taken a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the governance of Rivers State by announcing that the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, will defend the state’s 2025 budget before the Joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State.
This move comes after President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state on March 18, 2025.The 18-member Ad-hoc Committee, chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, was constituted by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to oversee developments in Rivers State during the emergency period. The committee’s mandate includes ensuring that the people of Rivers State are not shortchanged and that democratic governance remains functional in the state.
The Sole Administrator, along with other key officials, including the Accountant-General of Rivers State and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, will appear before the joint committee to defend the 2025 budget. This will provide an opportunity for the committee to scrutinize the budget and ensure that it is aligned with the needs of the state.
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The Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the emergency rule does not stand as disadvantage to the citizens of Rivers State. Senator Bamidele emphasized that the committee will work closely with the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee to ensure financial propriety and good governance in Rivers State.
The inaugural session of the committee marked a crucial step towards ensuring that the committee’s oversight work is effective and thorough. Senator Bamidele assured that the committee will be diligent and thorough in its oversight role to ensure that the citizens of Rivers State are not disadvantaged by the emergency rule.
The committee has finalized its work plan and timetable to guide the budget defense sessions. The budget defense exercise will provide an opportunity for the committee to engage with the Sole Administrator and other key officials on the state’s economic management and ensure that the budget is implemented in a transparent and accountable manner.
