Rivers Assembly Moves to Probe N254bn Expenditure Under Ex-Administrator Ibas

The immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) and the Rivers State House of Assembly appear headed for confrontation after lawmakers resolved to probe the state’s finances during his six-month tenure.

Ibas left office on September 17 following the expiration of the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu, which suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Assembly for six months. The Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, held its first sitting after resumption and announced plans to investigate state expenditure during the period.

Lawmakers said the probe would “explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”

Findings by Newsmen show Rivers State received at least N254.37bn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025 under Ibas’ administration. FAAC data from the National Bureau of Statistics and other sources reveal monthly allocations ranging between N38bn and N45bn, averaging N42.40bn. If September follows the same trend, inflows could hit N297bn in seven months.

Over half of the allocations—about N133.24bn—came from the 13 percent oil derivation fund, highlighting Rivers’ dependence on volatile oil revenues. Value Added Tax contributed N107.78bn, while deductions for debt servicing consumed N26.31bn during the same period.

Despite the huge inflows, Rivers has not published its 2025 Budget Implementation Report, leaving citizens and civil society groups in the dark about how funds were spent. Several CSOs have demanded accountability. The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, led by Enefaa Georgewill, described Ibas’ appointment as illegal and called for a panel of inquiry to review both federal allocations and internally generated revenue. The Civil Liberties Organisation also alleged that the emergency administration bypassed constitutional processes, particularly in passing the 2025 budget.

Reacting, Ibas dismissed the Assembly’s move, saying lawmakers lacked the authority to probe him since he was appointed by the President and supervised by the National Assembly. Through his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubu, Ibas described the planned probe as a “fool’s errand.”

“When you decide to probe the administrator, you are invariably probing the President who appointed him and the National Assembly that supervised him” Igbikiowubu told Newsmen.

With Fubara back in office after months of political turmoil, pressure is mounting on the state government to ensure transparency in the management of Rivers’ oil-driven revenues.