N/Assembly Panel On Emergency Rule Set To Review Rivers’ N1.48trn Budget

The National Assembly ad hoc committee on Rivers State emergency rule has been mandated to commence immediate legislative action on Rivers State’s N1. 8 trillion budget proposal.

The budget was forwarded to the two chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday by President Bola Tinubu for consideration and approval.

Tinubu’s letter, addressed to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives cited the nullification of the Rivers 2025 budget by the Supreme Court.

The President’s letter said ₦324 billion of the budget proposal will be expended on infrastructure; ₦166 billion on health; ₦75.6 billion on education; and ₦31.4 billion on agriculture.

Among others, the budget targets 6,000 jobs in the agriculture sector alone.

Recall that the Supreme Court had, earlier in March, voided the Rivers 2025 budget transmitted to a three-member faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Ruling on an application filed against the Fubara administration, the apex court had declared that there was no governance in place in Rivers State.

The ruling prompted the imposition of emergency rule on the state by President Tinubu on March 18.

Highlight of the proclamation was the suspension of Governor Fubara and the state’s house of Assembly for six months.

The two chambers of the National Assembly had approved the president’s emergency proclamation on March 20.

Following the approval, each of the two chambers had set up 18-member committee charged with the responsibility of providing legislative function to Rivers State.

The committees are also charged with the responsibility of monitoring the running of Rivers State affairs by the sole administrator, Ibok Ete Ibas.

Ibas had, a few weeks ago, honoured an invitation by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on Rivers State.

The Administrator however, pleaded for time to enable him provide detailed information on his stewardship as requested by the committee.

The ad hoc committees set up by the two chambers of the National Assembly, will be requesting the Sole Administrator and top officials of the Rivers State Government to appear before a joint session to defend the budget proposal in the days ahead.

N/Assembly Panel On Emergency Rule Set To Review Rivers’ N1.48trn Budget is first published on The Whistler Newspaper