News Investigators/ Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading, the 2025 Rivers Appropriation Bill of N1.48 trillion.
This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill at plenary by the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti).
Mr Bamidele, in his lead debate, said regulation 4.2.8 of the Emergency Rule 2025 in Rivers required authorisation for expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue of Rivers for its activities.
He said the budget submission followed declaration of emergency rule in Rivers by President Bola Tinubu on March 18 and the subsequent nullification of the state’s 2025 budget by the Supreme Court.
Mr Bamidele said history bestowed on the distinguished senators as statesmen to perform the constitutional duty of appropriation for Rivers, given the absence of Rivers House of Assembly to approve the budget proposal.
He said the sum of N324 billion was proposed for infrastructure, both ongoing and new projects, while the sum of N166 billion was proposed for the health sector, including N5 billion for free drugs for treatment of malaria and other common ailments.
“The sum of N75.6 billion is proposed for the educational sector for improving learning environments and ensuring access to free basic education and N32 billion is proposed for agricultural purposes,” he said.
Mr Bamidele said approximately N6.2 billion was being allocated for youth empowerment which included digital resource centres and sports development and N5.2 billion was proposed for women affairs.
He said the spending plan prioritised investment in critical sectors of the state, such as infrastructure, health, including drugs for malaria and other common ailments, education and agriculture projected to generate 6,000 jobs.
The majority leader said the budget aimed to promote inclusive growth and development with a focus on sustainable economic expansion and improved living conditions for residents.
According to him, the budget will receive funding sources from the federal allocation, internally generated revenue, statutory allocations and Value Added Tax (VAT).
The lawmaker said the budget was designed to stabilise the state, restore critical services and improve livelihoods.
Mr Bamidele urged lawmakers to support the second reading of the bill.
President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the bill was read the second time, refereed it to the Ad-hoc Committee on Rivers Emergency Rule for further legislative inputs and to revert back to plenary in two weeks.
NAN
