Rivers Funds: Reps Ask Administrator To Provide Details

• Ibas has less than 48 hours left to supply details of proposed expenditure

By PHC Telegraph

 

Plans by Rear Admiral Ebok-Ete Ibas, Sole Administrator of the Rivers State, to turn the Rivers State Government House into a fortress watched by an unspecified number of spy cameras worth about N24 billion may have hit the rock.

The Ad-hoc Committee set up to oversee Rivers matters has raised a red flag over certain items of expenditure contained in the budget.

And asked the Cross River-born sole administrator whose regime has become embroiled in alleged financial scams to provide more information.

The Ad-hoc committee among other things, is demanding to know how the installation of spy cameras at the Rivers Government House will gulp a whopping sum of ₦24 billion belonging to Rivers people.

Ibas is also to provide information relating to funds released to his so-called appointees at the local government level.

There are revelations, based on a Guardian report on the outcome of an investigation reportedly conducted by the police as a result of a physical attack on the sole administrator of Ahoada East Local Government Area, that no less than ₦200 million was taken off the allocation of the council.

To verify what could have happened to funds transmitted to local councils, the House Committee is openly demanding additional data on what happened to the flow of such money.

There are however suggestions in some circles in and outside the State that the Ahoada East Local Government Area may not have been the only council area in the State where such unexplained deductions allegedly took place.

If this is correct, at least ₦4.6 billion may have been allegedly deducted from this source on a monthly basis since the sole administrator came on board.

Similarly, Ibas appears to have listed the purchase of gunboats as one of the items of expenditure in the 2025 budget.

The gunboats in question are expected to cost Rivers people the sum of ₦30 billion to acquire in the name of supporting the Federal Government’s effort to provide adequate security in Rivers and other neighbouring states.

 

Recall that Governor Fubara bought and commissioned such vessels for the Navy in Port Harcourt before the declaration of a state of emergency.

Lawmakers puzzled by the development, who also appear to be studying the Ibas budget line by line, want an explanation on this and other issues.

While Nigerians watch to see what the committee would do, the question many Nigerians are asking is, is the Rivers State Government House under any visible threat to warrant the supply of such level of surveillance equipment?

Others are asking if it necessary to waste such an amount of money which could build a cottage industry on cameras that would be watching a governor’s every move in Government House?

Would such costly cameras be linked to satellite? What is the benefit in real fiscal terms of such an investment at this time?

As things are, Ibas has a few hours left to offer explanations to curious lawmakers who seem to be asking for proper and adequate answers to the queries which are emanating from the Ibas budget.

Many here pray that the President would indeed make serious haste to return Governor Fubara of Rivers State to his seat before buccaneers that are allegedly gathering in the State devour what is left of Rivers money.