Hope of the passage of the Rivers State 2026 Appropriation Bill received a boost on Tuesday as the Martin Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly gave the proposed budget a second reading.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara had presented the over N1.8 trillion 2026 budget proposal to the House on July 10.
During plenary on Tuesday, a motion for the second reading of the Appropriation Bill was moved by the House Leader, Major Jack.
Leading the debate, Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol described the proposed budget as ambitious and the highest ever presented in the history of Rivers State.
Maol, however, urged lawmakers to carefully examine the various allocations to ensure that funds were appropriated for the right purposes.
Other lawmakers who contributed to the debate also called for the speedy passage of the bill.
The Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, who presided over the plenary, said the House would carry out detailed legislative scrutiny and oversight to ensure that funds appropriated under the budget were judiciously utilised.
He also directed the various committees of the House to ensure that all ministries, departments and agencies under the legislative competence of the Assembly were invited for budget defence sessions.
Amaewhule further said the House must investigate non-governmental organisations and other institutions that had received funding and support from the state government.
Earlier, while leading the debate, Jack highlighted the revenue framework of the estimate, expressing optimism that, with proper legislative input, the bill, christened the ‘Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,’ would promote accelerated development across the state.
The House subsequently adjourned sitting until September 3.
