Rivers Civil Servants Threaten Mass Protest Over Budget Delay

A coalition of civil servants in Rivers State, in partnership with the Rivers Solidarity for Good Governance, has issued a strong ultimatum to the state House of Assembly, demanding the immediate submission and receipt of the 2025 budget from the executive branch by Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

The groups, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, condemned what they described as “reckless inaction and obstruction of governance” by the Assembly and warned of mass protests if their demands are not met.

Led by Opu-Oyibo Lilly-West, the coalition criticized the Assembly for its prolonged delay in addressing the budgetary process, which they argued has left thousands of workers, traders, and residents in economic uncertainty. They accused the lawmakers of prioritizing political theatrics over critical governance responsibilities.

“Your blatant disregard for the urgent needs of our state has placed critical contracts and salaries at risk,” Lilly-West declared. “By choosing spectacle over service, you have endangered the future of our public institutions and betrayed the trust of every citizen who depends on a stable, functioning government.”

The coalition demanded that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s 2025 budget proposal be submitted to the Assembly without further delay and fully presented by March 19, 2025. The groups emphasized that their demand was “a command backed by the righteous fury of thousands of civil servants, their families, and the broader community.”

Failure to comply with this ultimatum, they warned, would result in large-scale protests across the state. “The tide of resistance will be unstoppable,” they declared. “The collective might of the civil service and the distressed voices of our people will rise in defiant protest against this gross negligence. This is not a threat—it is a promise of action.”

The coalition also called on lawmakers to abandon what they described as “empty rhetoric” and “farcical games,” urging them to fulfill their constitutional obligations to ensure governance continuity. This ultimatum comes amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State over budgetary control following a Supreme Court ruling that reinstated a rival faction of lawmakers led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule. The legislative crisis has further delayed critical governance processes, including budget implementation.