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Wike’s N448.6bn Consolidation Budget Excites Rivers People
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has presented a N448,660,773,476billion Budget, for 2021 fiscal year to the state’s House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The proposed 2021 budget christened, “Budget of Recovery and Consolidation”, is made up of N305, 894, 284.061 for Capital Expenditure, while N142,776,489,415 is earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure.
Wike, while presenting the budget to lawmakers at the state House of Assembly in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday, said the N448,660,773,476 budget for 2021 fiscal year represents more than 20 per cent increase over the 2020 Revised Budget of N300billion.
He said the capital expenditure, representing 68.18 per cent of the total budget, comprised: Administrative sector N87, 790,330,011.37; Economic sector N105,077,364,248,.81; Law and Justice N1,742,996,000.00; Social sector N132, 656,033,322.35 and Deductions/Loan repayments of N38billion.
The governor explained that the capital budget would be deployed to advance economic growth and social progress by targeting and prioritizing investments.
He said the sum of N82,957,295,248.81 has been provided for the provision of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and completion of flyover projects at Okoro-Nu-Odo, Rumuola, Rumuogba, and GRA Junction.
“We will also deliver the Ogoni–Andoni–Opobo Unity Road, the Eastern Bypass dualization, 6th and 7th flyover projects and the Wakama Road as well as all other ongoing rural roads in our communities and local government areas across the state.”
The governor stated that over N6billion has been provided in the 2021 budget to stimulate economic growth through investments in commerce, culture and tourism, mineral resource development as well as address environmental challenges to improve the quality of life of all residents.
Similarly, he said N13,861,407,451.97 has been provided to fund various social and economic investment schemes to support the development of small and medium scale businesses as part of efforts to create jobs and reduce poverty.
The governor noted that economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic clearly exposed the state’s vulnerability to food insecurity, hence, the sum of N16,107,080,000.00 would be spent on targeted investments in the agriculture value chain in a bid to create employment and enhance collective food security of the state.
In cognizance that quality public education remains the key to breaking cycles of poverty, the governor said his administration has decided to prioritise education in the 2021 budget with the provision of N30billion to boost infrastructure, enhance access and retention rates and improve educational outcomes in schools throughout the state.
The governor hinted that the state government has provided N25,111,728,000.00 for health care services for 2021 fiscal year.
According to him, government would focus on completing the four zonal referral hospitals at Ahoada, Bori, Degema, Okehi and Omoku, which were all at advanced stages of completion.
Wike explained that the 2021 budget would also prioritise security and sustain the existing efforts in combating insecurity and keeping residents safe and secure.
He said the Recurrent Expenditure of N142,776,489,415 represents 31.82 per cent of the 2021 budget.
Out of this, he said N76,198,906,179 is for personnel costs; N18,863,016,430 for overheads and N47,704,566,804 for grants and transfers to the consolidated revenue charges.
“From inception, this administration has prioritised the payment of salaries and pensions, and I wish to assure our workers, including the proposed 5,000 new enlistments, that they will receive their salaries as and when due in 2021. Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are also assured of prompt release of overheads to enable them run effectively and deliver services to the people.”
The governor explained that Nigeria was currently in its second recession in five years with headline inflation at 14 per cent.
However, he said the Federal Government has projected that the country would exit the recession in the first quarter of 2021.
Wike said the policy thrust for the year 2021 budget would be to accelerate economic recovery, drive growth and create opportunities for social progress; enhance human capital development and tackle poverty; build first-class infrastructures to accelerate socio-economic development.
He expressed optimism that the measures in the budget would place the state on a stronger economic footing towards achieving the NEW Rivers Vision for a peaceful, secure, inclusive and prosperous society.
He said the budget would be funded from Statutory Allocation, 13 per cent derivation fund, internally generated revenue (IGR), value added tax (VAT), refunds for federal projects and excess crude oil deductions, domestic and foreign credit as well as grants from development partners.
Commenting on the performance of the 2020 budget, Wike disclosed that at the end of October, 2020, the total net revenue collected by the state was N226,522,031,922.45, representing about 75 per cent overall proportional performance.
“While receipts from federal allocations declined, internally generated revenue overshot the budget projections by over N20billion despite the pause we placed on the payment of taxes by the informal sector and small businesses.”
Excited by the provisions in the presentation, the Speaker, Rt Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, lauded Governor Nyesom Wike’s commitment towards transforming the state’s economy.
According to him, generations to come would live to acknowledge his good deeds.
The Speaker further assured the governor that the state lawmakers would diligently consider and pass the budget to facilitate the continued development of the state.
Present at the budget presentation were: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo; Secretary to the State government, Dr Tammy Danagogo; the state PDP Chairman, Amb Desmond Akwor and members of the State Executive Council.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.