The Senate has vowed to monitor the sector-to-sector implementation of the 2025 Rivers budget for meaningful development, ensuring transparency and accountability in project execution to drive growth and progress in the state.

The Chairperson of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Oversight of Rivers Emergency, Opeyemi Bamidele, made the vow on Thursday in Abuja during the defence of the 2025 Budget of Rivers by the Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral.

Mr Bamidele said the committee’s mandate was to track how allocated resources are utilised “project by project and sector by sector.”

This, he said was to guarantee transparency, uphold accountability in the use of public funds in the overriding public interest of the people.

“This committee carries a continuous oversight responsibility that goes beyond today’s defence session.

“As representatives of the Nigerian people, we are not only tasked with evaluating figures but also with ensuring the faithful implementation of the budget.

“It is our mandate to track how allocated resources are utilised, project by project, sector by sector, to guarantee transparency and uphold accountability in the use of public funds.

“This means our engagement today on the Rivers 2025 Appropriation Bill does not end here. In the coming months, we shall assess the performance of the budget by closely monitoring disbursements, execution timelines, and delivery outcomes.

“Our objective is to ensure that approved funds translate into meaningful development and that deviations or delays are addressed promptly in the overriding public interest.”

The senator said the committee, beyond the numbers, would also evaluate the impact of the budget on the everyday lives of the people of Rivers.

He said that in times of political uncertainty and emergency governance, government actions must be lawful and people-centred.

“We must ask, will this budget deliver improved roads, healthcare, education, safety, and livelihoods for the people? This, ultimately, is how we build trust in government and public institutions like ours,” he said.

The Senate majority leader said the committee must work to restore and strengthen governance through its recommendations and sustained legislative vigilance.

Senator Bamidele said the structure of the 2025 Rivers budget clearly showed that more funds were budgeted for capital projects, saying that N1.72 trillion was budgeted for capital expenditure alone.

“This accounts for about 72.43 per cent of the total expenditure. Also, N408.412 billion is earmarked for recurrent expenditure, invariably accounting for 27.56 per cent of the aggregate spending,” he said.

Senator Bamidele said the National Assembly was committed to democratic tenets and would preserve governance, stating that the committee remained committed to national development and institutional integrity.

In his presentation, Mr Ibas said the overall budget reflects not just fiscal planning but a strategic repositioning of Rivers for sustainable growth, social cohesion, and a renewed contract between the government and its people.

He said the budget aligns with the strategic objectives outlined in the Rivers Development Plan 2017 2027.

According to him, the 2025 N1.8 trillion Rivers Government budget was designed to address the needs of the people of Rivers.

He said the budget proposal demonstrates a commitment to both immediate impact and long-term resilience through strategic allocations across critical sectors, such as work, agriculture, health, and education.

(NAN)