The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to authorise the issuance of ₦1.48 trillion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to fund the 2025 fiscal year for Rivers State, currently under emergency rule.
The bill, titled ‘Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State’, was presented on the Senate floor by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during plenary.
The proposed budget allocates ₦120.8 billion for debt servicing, ₦287.3 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and ₦1.07 trillion for capital projects.
Senator Bamidele explained that the emergency budget was crafted to ensure the uninterrupted operation of government in Rivers State under the current emergency governance structure. He added that the financial plan was designed to promote inclusive growth and development, with a deliberate focus on improving the living standards of the people.
In support of the bill, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan stressed the urgency of legislative approval:
“Mr. President, I don’t know under what topic this document is christened, but I can see it is about a budget for the state of emergency.
I hereby support that the budget be passed for second reading so that the people of Rivers can feel the presence of government.”
Following the debate, the Senate referred the bill to the Ad Hoc Committee on Rivers Emergency Rule, which has been mandated to review and report back within two weeks.
The proposed appropriation comes on the heels of a formal request from President Bola Tinubu, who wrote to the National Assembly last week urging the legislature to consider and approve the ₦1.48 trillion budget.
In the letter, which was read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu cited the state of emergency declared in Rivers State in March 2025 as the reason for the special budget request.
The President explained that, once approved, the funds would be used by the Emergency Rule Government of Rivers State to support critical sectors including education, agriculture, and the provision of free medical drugs, among others.
