By James Adamu in Abuja
The Senate on Wednesday ratified Rivers State’s N1.485 trillion budget for 2025.
The decision came after President Bola Tinubu presented the spending plan to the National Assembly, stepping in following the suspension of the state’s own House of Assembly.
The budget cleared its final legislative hurdle after a third reading and scrutiny by an ad-hoc Senate committee. It now awaits formal approval and implementation, subject to standard executive procedures.
The unusual intervention followed a political crisis that saw the Rivers State Assembly suspended and its previous budget—submitted by the now-ousted Governor Siminalayi Fubara—struck down by the Supreme Court.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested urgent consideration of the replacement budget, citing the need to maintain governance continuity.
The approved expenditure allocates N1.49 trillion from Rivers State’s coffers, with N120.8 billion set aside for debt servicing and N287.38 billion for routine operational costs. The lion’s share—over N1.07 trillion—is designated for capital projects, signalling ambitious infrastructure plans.
While supporting the budget’s passage, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) sounded a note of caution regarding an additional N50 billion provision for unpaid pensions.
He said they must ensure the funds actually reach pensioners without getting tangled in red tape, he insisted, urging close monitoring of the disbursement process.
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