The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), and other key functionaries are to appear before the Joint National Assembly Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee Emergency Rule in Rivers State to defend the state’s ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget.

The Leader of the Senate/Chairman, Senate Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central disclosed this at the inaugural meeting of the committee in the New Senate Wing, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

This is according to a statement on Tuesday by the upper chamber in Abuja.

According to the statement, the Senate assured Nigerians that it was determined to ensure the people of Rivers State “are not shortchanged due to the declaration of emergency rule by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18”.

President Bola Tinubu had last week written the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeking the consideration and approval of ₦1.48 trillion Appropriation bill for Rivers State, citing the ongoing state of emergency imposed in the oil-rich state since March 2025.

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In the letter read at plenary by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu explained that when approved, the money will be used by the Emergency Rule Government of Rivers State to provide for education, agriculture, provision of free drugs, others.

According to President Tinubu, the request follows the constitutional requirement for the national assembly to assume legislative duties for any state under emergency rule where the state house of assembly is suspended or non-functional.

After President Tinubu declared an emergency in Rivers State, the Senate President, President Godswill Akpabio, subsequently constituted an 18-member Committee on Emergency Rule under the chairmanship of Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

Among others, the inaugural meeting was attended by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Munguno; Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwebonyi; Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero; Chairman, of Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa; Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru and Chairperson, Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Senator Oluranti Adebule.