The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers State has given the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), a 48-hour ultimatum to provide a detailed breakdown of key allocations in the proposed N1.48 trillion 2025 budget.
This includes a controversial N24 billion earmarked for CCTV installation in the Government House.
Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), Chairman of the committee and House Majority Leader, issued the directive on Monday during a budget defense session in Abuja.
He expressed significant concern over several line items in the Appropriation Bill.
Ihonvbere stated that the committee had thoroughly reviewed the budget presented by the sole administrator and had identified numerous issues.
He specifically demanded the submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), emphasizing that it is a legal document that must precede any budget presentation.
Read Also: APC Speaks On Tinubu Being Unhappy With Ganduje
Beyond the N24 billion for CCTV cameras, Ihonvbere also queried a N30 billion allocation for the purchase of gunboats and N23 billion earmarked for contingency reserves, demanding justifications for these sums.
The chairman further questioned the allocation of state funds to existing federal projects without proper agreements with the Federal Government regarding refunds.
“We need additional details for those allocations, we request details of state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last three months to enable us know your financial flows so that we can weigh it against the deficit in the budget in terms of financing it and carrying out some of the projects,” Ihonvbere stated.
He added, “We also need details of transfers to local governments, essentially how local government funds that come into the state are being managed at the moment.”
Issuing the ultimatum, he stressed, “Those documents we have requested must reach us within 48 hours; be rest assured that we are all on the same side in terms of getting Rivers working again.”
Ihonvbere affirmed the committee’s commitment to “promote a lot of accountability and ensure that the interest of the people themselves, no matter how remote they are from the state capital, are protected.”
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for his intervention in fostering peace between the state’s suspended Executive and Legislature.
In response, Vice Admiral Ibas, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Policy, Andrew Nweke, explained that many items in the budget were inherited.
Nweke asserted that the budget reflected the interests of Rivers people, having been designed based on needs assessments conducted by implementing agencies.
He cited Rivers’ unique challenges, explaining that the N30 billion for gunboats was to bolster security agencies in combating waterway insecurity, while the N23 billion contingency fund was to address unforeseen circumstances like floods.
Regarding the N24 billion for CCTV at the Government House, Nweke stated that the Governor’s office is one of “honor” and requires modern security surveillance technology. He assured the committee that all requested additional documents would be provided to facilitate the legislative process.
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
