The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed the N1.8 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, with all 26 lawmakers supporting the budget during Thursday’s sitting in Port Harcourt.
The bill will now be transmitted to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his assent. The Assembly said the approved budget would cover the fiscal year ending on September 2, 2027.
Fubara had presented the N1.8 trillion budget proposal to the Assembly on July 10. He described it as a plan aimed at promoting growth and development in the state.
The budget, titled “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” was subjected to legislative scrutiny by various committees of the Assembly before its passage.
The Assembly had on Tuesday resumed consideration of the budget after more than a month of delay, with lawmakers giving it a second reading.
The motion for the second reading was moved by the House Leader, Major Jack, who called attention to the revenue framework of the proposed budget.
During the debate, Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol described the budget as ambitious and the highest ever proposed in the history of Rivers State.
Maol, however, urged lawmakers to carefully examine the allocations to ensure that the funds would be used for the purposes for which they were approved.
He said the size of the budget made proper legislative scrutiny necessary and called on his colleagues to ensure that government funds were properly accounted for.
Other lawmakers who participated in the debate also supported the speedy consideration and passage of the bill, while stressing the need for effective implementation of the proposed programmes and projects.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule had directed the various committees of the House to invite ministries, departments and agencies under their oversight for budget defence.
He said the exercise would allow the lawmakers to properly examine the estimates and ensure that the proposed allocations were justified.
Amaewhule also said the House would investigate non-governmental organisations and other institutions that received funding and support from the state government as part of its oversight responsibilities.
The Speaker recalled that the governor had presented the budget about six weeks earlier and said the committees had used the period to examine its different components.
He said the Assembly would carry out “detailed legislative scrutiny and oversight” to ensure that the funds appropriated were judiciously utilised.
Jack, while leading the debate on the bill, also emphasised the importance of the revenue projections contained in the proposal, saying appropriate legislative input would help the budget achieve its objectives.