The Budget Debate: Clearing the Air on Ibas’ ₦1.846 Trillion Proposal

By Harrison Tombra

If there is one subject guaranteed to ignite strong opinion in Nigeria, it is the government budget—especially when the figure involved is nearly two trillion naira. Since the Rivers State 2025 budget was revised to ₦1.846 trillion and presented by the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the public space has been flooded with questions, criticisms, and misinformation. Opponents labelled the budget “excessive,” “illegitimate,” even “fiscally irresponsible.” Some critics went as far as questioning Ibas’ right to propose a budget at all.

But beyond the soundbites and political opportunism, a more sober analysis is needed—one that takes into account the context, the intent, the structure, and above all, the impact of the revised budget. Because once those are considered, a clearer picture emerges: the Ibas budget is not reckless. It is rescue.

When Ibas assumed office in March 2025, Rivers was not in a state of routine governance. It was in free fall. The impasse between the former Governor and the House of Assembly had left the state without a clear budgetary direction. Ministries were paralysed. Projects abandoned. Salaries unpaid. Budgetary records were either missing or unverifiable. There was no coherent financial framework to speak of.

To govern a state of such economic and strategic significance without a credible budget would have been catastrophic. Ibas had no choice but to act—and act decisively. The revised ₦1.846 trillion budget was not a wish list. It was a reconstruction blueprint. A tool to clean up fiscal debris and lay the foundation for a return to order.

At first glance, ₦1.846 trillion may seem large. But size alone is not the issue. The real question is: what does the budget seek to achieve, and is it aligned with the needs of the state?

The budget was revised upward to account for several realities: unpaid pension arrears and wage backlogs running into hundreds of billions of naira; ongoing infrastructure projects without funding continuity; a deteriorating education sector in need of classroom rehabilitation, recruitment of teachers, and investment in learning materials; public hospitals with empty pharmacies, failing equipment, and poor staffing; and a climate-vulnerable state needing to fund urgent ecological and drainage interventions.

These are not theoretical needs—they are urgent, lived realities for millions of Rivers residents. Any responsible budget would have to address them. And that is exactly what Ibas’ proposal does.
Unlike budgets of the past which prioritised political interests and white elephant projects, the 2025 revised budget under Ibas prioritises people-centred development. Over ₦300 billion has been earmarked for reviving primary and secondary schools, refurbishing health centres, training personnel, and expanding immunisation programmes. Roads and bridges abandoned due to lack of funding are back on the schedule. Contracts are being revalidated and refocused on high-traffic, high-impact projects. The administration is using the budget to clear long-standing obligations to pensioners and civil servants—people who served the state but were forgotten in political squabbles. New microcredit and skills acquisition schemes have been embedded to target job creation. LGAs starved of capital allocations are now receiving funds to improve water supply, electrification, and sanitation.
This is not reckless spending—it is long-overdue redirection.

To his credit, Ibas did not simply announce a large budget and expect it to pass unchallenged. He took the unusual step of defending it before the National Assembly in Abuja. He presented a detailed breakdown. He acknowledged the fiscal gaps of the previous administration and explained why the upward review was necessary. And just this week, the National Assembly approved the initial ₦1.48 trillion portion of the budget. The additional ₦366 billion—which brings the total to ₦1.846 trillion—is still under consideration. That, in itself, shows a transparent and constitutional process is in motion.

Furthermore, the administration has developed a budget performance tracking system. Ministries are now required to submit monthly reports. Independent monitors have been contracted to visit project sites. A public communications team has been tasked with ensuring that Rivers residents can see not just how money is allocated, but how it is used.

This framework of accountability is part of Ibas’ leadership philosophy: quiet efficiency, visible results.

Much of the public criticism stems from a political rather than a fiscal lens. Critics are not outraged because the budget is large—they are outraged because the man who proposed it is not an elected politician. But legitimacy in times of emergency cannot be measured solely by electoral metrics. It must also be measured by effectiveness, responsibility, and results.

When elected officials abandon their duty, and when state institutions are hijacked by conflict, someone must take the wheel. That someone, in this case, is Ibas. His administration was born of necessity, not ambition. And since assuming office, he has acted with restraint, accountability, and clarity.
So the question should not be, “Is he allowed to propose a ₦1.846 trillion budget?” The question should be: is the money going to the right places, and are the people benefiting? On that score, the answer is a resounding yes.

Even before full implementation, the effects of the revised budget are beginning to be felt across the state: road rehabilitation has resumed in Port Harcourt and Eleme; state-run hospitals have begun restocking drugs and re-engaging retired health workers; schools closed due to lack of support are being revived; youth-focused programmes have launched in three LGAs; and pensioners report receiving communication about verification and clearance.

These are signs that the budget is not sitting in a drawer. It is working.
Budgets are more than numbers. They are moral documents. They reflect a government’s values. What does it prioritise? Who does it protect? Where does it spend?

Under Ibas, the Rivers budget is speaking clearly. It is saying: “We see the people. We hear the people. And we are ready to fix what was broken.” That is a far cry from the budgets of the past, which often said: “Let the elite feast; the people can wait.”

Ibas has changed that tone. And for that, he deserves not condemnation, but commendation.

It is easy to criticise from the sidelines. It is harder to govern a fractured state and still deliver coherence, continuity, and compassion. The ₦1.846 trillion budget is not perfect. No budget is. But it is deliberate, it is defensible, and it is delivering.

Let us have a healthy conversation about public finance—but let it be a factual, informed, and balanced one. Let us debate allocations—not the legitimacy of a man who, in Rivers’ most difficult moment, chose governance over grandstanding.

This budget is not just about numbers. It is about direction. And under Ibas, that direction is forward.
Harrison Tombra, an indigene of Rivers State, writes from Abuja.