RismadarVoice Reporters
March 29, 2026
Rivers State government has disclosed that more than ₦302 billion was expended during the six-month tenure of former sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), between March and August 2025.
The revelation came in court filings before the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, submitted by the Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in response to a Freedom of Information suit (PHC/4153/CS/2025) filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The suit seeks transparency regarding government spending during the emergency administration.
According to the counter-affidavit filed on 10 March 2026, Rivers State received over ₦253 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and an additional ₦44.87 billion from other sources, bringing total receipts to about ₦298.35 billion.
Expenditure records, including bank statements and government estimates, indicate that more than ₦302.35 billion was spent within the six-month period. Payments covered salaries, pensions, overhead costs, loans, bank charges, and allocations to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), with over ₦106 billion disbursed in August alone.
Government House also received repeated transfers, ranging from ₦1.8 million to ₦4.27 billion.
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s deputy director, said the organisation is reviewing the documents to determine if further requests or amendments are necessary.
The case, filed on 31 October 2025, is currently before Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku and has been adjourned to 19 May 2026 for the next hearing.
This disclosure provides unprecedented insight into government expenditure during the emergency administration, highlighting the scale of financial management under Vice Admiral Ibas’s leadership.
