The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has revealed that the proposed N1.48 trillion 2025 budget makes provision for the return of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other political officeholders.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight, Ibas said the budget anticipates a restoration of constitutional governance in the state, following the emergency rule declared earlier this year.
“The draft budget prudently retains provisions for the offices and functions of suspended political actors, some of whom have already drawn on allocated resources in the first quarter and are expected to resume their duties at the expiration of the emergency period,” Ibas stated.
The proposed 2025 budget, he explained, aligns with the Rivers State Development Plan 2017–2027 and is built around a strategic and integrated framework aimed at boosting internally generated revenues, accelerating infrastructure development, enhancing human capital, and fostering inclusive economic growth across all sectors.
However, the Sole Administrator also expressed concern over limited cooperation from the suspended state officials, noting that his administration has struggled to obtain adequate data on past expenditures.
“There has been a lack of access to comprehensive information, which has hindered our ability to fully capture spending details and projections,” he said.
It will be recalled that on 18 March, President Bola Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Fubara and several key officials in response to escalating political instability and administrative paralysis.
