The House of Representatives has demanded a detailed breakdown of the ₦1.48 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill passed for Rivers State under emergency rule, raising concerns over several questionable allocations including ₦24 billion earmarked for CCTV camera installations. The lawmakers made their position known during a heated session on Monday, insisting that transparency must not be sacrificed despite the prevailing political crisis in the state.
Lawmakers queried the justification behind such a high allocation for surveillance equipment under an interim administration, asking the ad hoc committee overseeing the state of emergency to provide more clarity. “₦24 billion for CCTV in a state under caretaker governance raises serious accountability questions,” one lawmaker noted, adding that there was no accompanying technical framework to explain the intended deployment and coverage.
The House also directed that the budget be subjected to further scrutiny, particularly in sectors such as security, infrastructure and recurrent spending, where large sums were lumped without granular breakdowns. While the emergency rule allows the National Assembly to take over legislative functions in the state, several members emphasized that this power must be exercised with prudence and strict oversight.
