From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has proposed a N1.48 trillion budget for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year.
The proposal was contained in a letter sent to the Senate and House of Representatives and read in plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday.
According to the breakdown, N324 billion is allocated for infrastructure development, N166 billion for health, N75.6 billion for education, N31.4 billion for agriculture, and N5 billion for free drug distribution across all categories of residents in the state.
The Senate has referred the budget proposal to its Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State for further legislative action.
Daily Sun recalls that Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, 18 March 2025 in response to what he described as escalating political instability and security concerns in the state, following an explosion on the Trans Niger Pipeline.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
He appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during this period.
Despite the controversy that arose from the action, the National Assembly endorsed the president’s declaration by granting it legislative backing.