On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reminded officials administering Rivers State under emergency rule that the intervention was not a replacement for democracy, but rather a constitutional measure to restore order in the midst of a crisis.
Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee supervising the state’s emergency administration, delivered the charge while defending Rivers’ ₦1.4 trillion 2025 budget at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Bamidele explained to the committee and Rivers officials that Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) allows for emergency rule to stabilize volatile regions.
He stated, “Emergency rule is not a substitute for democratic government in any political climate.”
“Rather, it is an extraordinary measure designed to restore order in times of disorder, peace in place of conflict, and stability instead of instability.”
The Senate Leader stated that the committee will closely monitor budget implementation to ensure that allocations benefit the people of Rivers State.
Bamidele stated, “We are responsible not just for evaluating figures, but also for ensuring that the budget is faithfully executed.
“When allocations on paper become tangible solutions on the ground, citizens’ trust in governance is restored.”
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He also stated that constant oversight would focus on essential sectors such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security.
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Meanwhile, Ibok-Ete Ibas, Rivers’ only administrator, informed lawmakers that some staff had refused to submit vital financial data, preventing a complete scrutiny of first-quarter expenses.
“Some state officials withheld critical information required to ensure a more complete capture of expenditures undertaken in the first quarter,” Ibas told me.
He recognized that, while the 2025 budget may not be perfect due to the circumstances, it is consistent with the Rivers State Development Plan (2017-2027).
Ibas stated: “The budget is crafted as a people-centred fiscal blueprint, responsive to present challenges and future development imperatives.”
On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared an emergency in Rivers State in response to months of political upheaval. In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio formed an 18-member ad hoc committee, led by Bamidele, to oversee the state’s administration.
Senators Tahir Munguno (Chief Whip), Peter Nwebonyi (Deputy Chief Whip), Adamu Aliero (Chair, Land Transport), Sani Musa (Chair, Finance), and Adetokunbo Abiru (Chair, Banking and Insurance) are among those on the panel.
