The Rivers State Government has told the High Court sitting in Port Harcourt that over N302 billion was expended during the six-month administration of former sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), between March and August 2025.
The disclosure was contained in a counter-affidavit filed before the court in response to a Freedom of Information suit instituted by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The suit, marked PHC/4153/CS/2025, is seeking full disclosure of how public funds were spent during the period of emergency rule in the state.
The government, through the Accountant-General’s office and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, stated that Rivers State received a total of N253.48bn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee within the period, alongside additional inflows of N44.87bn, bringing total receipts to about N298.35bn.
However, documents presented before the court indicated that total expenditure rose to N302.35bn, exceeding the recorded inflows.
The government attached bank statements and capital expenditure documents as exhibits to support its claims, noting that it had substantially complied with SERAP’s request for information under the FOI Act.
It further disclosed that although N28bn was approved for the installation of CCTV cameras at the Government House, no funds were eventually spent on the project, hence the absence of supporting documents.
The state maintained that it had no intention of withholding information, stressing that any delay in responding to the request did not cause harm to the applicant.
“The defendants have compiled and provided the requested information as required by law,” the affidavit partly read.
The case is before Justice Sika Aprioku and has been adjourned till May 19, 2026, for further hearing.
Reacting, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the organisation was reviewing the 49-page documents submitted by the state government.
According to him, preliminary findings suggest “significant transfers and concentrated spending,” adding that further actions would depend on the outcome of its detailed analysis.
The suit is anchored on relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, which guarantee citizens’ right to access public information.
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