PORT HARCOURT — The Rivers State House of Assembly has committed the proposed N1.854 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to relevant committees for detailed legislative scrutiny.
The decision followed the passage of the bill for second reading during the House’s 36th Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session on Tuesday.
The bill, presented by Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, is christened “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development” and projects total revenue of N1,854,248,734,475.76 for the 2026 fiscal year.
Leading the debate, the Majority Leader, Hon. Major Jack, focused on the revenue framework of the proposal and said appropriate legislative input would help the budget achieve its objectives of promoting growth and development in the state.
Speaker of the House, Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, said the Assembly had been examining the various components of the budget since its presentation about six weeks earlier.
Amaewhule said the House would subject the estimates to thorough legislative scrutiny and oversight to ensure that appropriated funds were properly and judiciously utilised for the benefit of Rivers residents.
He directed the various committees to invite Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under the legislative competence of the House to appear before them for budget defence.
The Speaker said the exercise was necessary to enable the lawmakers to examine the proposals of the MDAs and ensure that allocations were aligned with the development priorities contained in the budget.
The bill will now undergo further consideration by the relevant committees before the House takes subsequent legislative steps toward its passage into law.
