Rivers Assembly vs Ibas: Showdown Over ₦254bn Spending in Six Months

The stage is set for a fresh political showdown in Rivers State.

The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has announced plans to probe the state’s finances during the six-month emergency rule under Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).

Findings show that between March and August 2025, Rivers State received at least ₦254.37bn from FAAC, with over ₦133bn (52%) coming from oil derivation funds. Despite this massive inflow, major projects stalled and no Budget Implementation Report was published fueling suspicions of mismanagement.

Civil Society Organisations are demanding answers:

“We suspect corruption,” says Enefaa Georgewill, chair of Rivers CSOs.

The Civil Liberties Organisation insists the six-month emergency government was illegal and lacked transparency.

But Ibas has fired back, dismissing the Assembly’s move as a “fool’s errand.” He argues that since he was appointed by President Tinubu and supervised by the National Assembly, the Rivers lawmakers have no authority to probe him.

The big questions remain:

How was over ₦254bn spent in six months?

Why are critical projects still abandoned?

And can the Assembly truly hold Ibas accountable, or will this probe end as political noise?