The Rivers State Government has disclosed that more than ₦302 billion was spent during the six-month tenure of former sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), between March and August 2025.
The revelation was contained in court filings before the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, submitted in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
According to a counter-affidavit dated March 10, 2026, and filed by the state’s Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Rivers State received a total of about ₦298.35 billion within the period. This included over ₦253.48 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and ₦44.87 billion from other sources.
However, official records showed that total expenditure rose to approximately ₦302.35 billion—exceeding total receipts by about ₦4 billion.
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The documents, which include bank statements and government expenditure estimates, detailed spending across salaries, pensions, loans, overheads, and allocations to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Notably, over ₦112.41 billion was spent on salaries, pensions, and overheads, while ₦163.44 billion was disbursed to MDAs.
A significant portion of the MDA spending—over ₦106 billion—was made in August alone, indicating a sharp concentration of disbursements within a single month.
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The filings also revealed repeated transfers to Government House, ranging from ₦1.8 million to as high as ₦4.27 billion. Several payments of ₦900 million were recorded multiple times, alongside other large transactions including ₦61.9 million, ₦122 million, ₦170 million, ₦389 million, ₦750 million, and ₦850 million. The largest single transfer, ₦4.27 billion, occurred in August.
Further breakdown showed that over ₦26.01 billion was used for loan servicing, while bank charges accounted for more than ₦491.59 million.
On capital projects, the records revealed discrepancies between allocations and actual spending. While over ₦2.5 billion was released for the construction of Government House quarters, only about ₦1.1 billion was reflected as spent. Similarly, a revised allocation of ₦2.67 billion for office building repairs showed actual spending of about ₦404 million.
An allocation of ₦350 million for canteen and kitchen equipment was also listed, although the actual expenditure remains unclear. Additionally, over ₦463 million was reportedly spent on rehabilitation projects, including one project whose budget increased from ₦800 million to ₦1.56 billion.
The government also clarified that although ₦28 billion was approved for the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the State House, no funds were spent on the project.
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In the affidavit, the state government stated that it does not contest SERAP’s right to access public information and has now provided all requested documents, including bank statements and capital expenditure records, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Reacting to the disclosure, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the organisation is currently analysing the documents to determine whether further action is necessary.
“Our teams are reviewing the spending project-by-project to assess whether there has been full compliance or whether additional requests or amendments to our legal processes are required,” he said.
SERAP’s preliminary review confirmed the figures, noting that total spending stood at over ₦302.35 billion, with significant transfers to government entities and individuals during the period under review.
The organisation also highlighted concerns over the concentration of spending, repeated high-value transfers, and gaps between allocations and actual expenditures on certain projects.
The suit, filed on October 31, 2025, is currently before Justice S.H. Aprioku of the Rivers State High Court and has been adjourned to May 19, 2026, for further hearing.
Meanwhile, the closing balance in the state’s account as of August 2025 stood at approximately ₦19.93 billion.
