The Federal Government has resumed the monthly allocation of local government funds to Rivers State, averaging ₦14.347 billion in 2024. This follows months of withheld allocations due to court orders, which had frozen the disbursement of funds to the state’s LGAs.
Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the newly appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State, confirmed the release of the funds during a meeting with local government heads in Port Harcourt. He assured that the money would be used to clear outstanding salaries and improve local governance.
The move has generated controversy, with some political stakeholders accusing the federal government of using the funds as a tool to influence the state’s ongoing political crisis. Others argue that releasing the money is a necessary step to ensure that local government workers, who have endured months without pay, receive their wages. However, the exact number of months covered by the disbursement remains unclear.
With projected revenue increases in 2025, Rivers State is expected to receive even higher allocations than the ₦16.82 billion recorded in November 2024.
