The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has appeared at the Senate for the hearing on the ₦1.48 trillion budget of the state.
Ibas’ appearance at the Senate comes weeks after the National Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the people of Rivers State were not shortchanged following the declaration of emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025.
Naija News learnt that Ibas was accompanied by other key officials, including members of the economic team, who are ready to meet with the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State.
While presenting the revised budget, Ibas announced an upward review of the state’s 2025 budget from ₦1.48 trillion to ₦1.846 trillion—an increase of approximately ₦400 billion.
He revealed that the state’s total revenue for 2024 stood at ₦1.04 trillion, significantly exceeding the budget target of ₦800.39 billion—a 31.6 per cent increase.
He said, “It is my well-considered opinion that the expenditures were clearly understated.”
The administrator further disclosed that some officials withheld critical expenditure information during the budget development process, particularly concerning first-quarter spending, which led to an incomplete reflection of actual government outlays.
He acknowledged that the proposal may not be perfect, given the tight timeline and prevailing circumstances under which it was prepared.