Jake Epelle, the Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu for presenting the 2025 budget of Rivers State to the National Assembly.
According to Epelle, this action has put the President on the wrong side of history. He believes it’s a move that breaks democratic norms.
Epelle shared his thoughts during an interview on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief program on Friday.
He explained that this is the first time in Nigeria’s democratic history that a sitting President has presented a state budget. He called it a troubling and serious issue.
“The President has made history, but sadly it’s not a good kind. This has never happened before. It shows how broken the democratic structure in Rivers State is due to the emergency rule,” Epelle stated.
He further explained that this act was an example of the federal government using too much power. He stressed that there is no legal or democratic reason for the President to present a state’s budget.
Epelle revealed that the government first planned to use a sole administrator to present the budget. However, after people started questioning whether it was legal for a non-elected person to take on such a big responsibility, they changed their plan.
He said it’s wrong for someone who wasn’t elected by the people to manage and control a state’s money. That kind of decision, he added, weakens trust in the democratic process.
Even though Tinubu’s action is historic, Epelle believes it goes against the core values of democracy and good governance.
The DAILY POST reported that President Tinubu sent the Rivers State 2025 budget to the National Assembly on Thursday after the state’s House of Assembly was suspended.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu presented a proposed budget of N1.481 trillion. The money is planned to be used for improving infrastructure, healthcare, education, and agriculture. It’s also expected to help create about 6,000 new jobs.
Tinubu asked the Senate to act quickly and pass the budget. The Senate has given the proposal to a special committee to review it and report back soon.
He also wrote to the House of Representatives, asking them to approve the budget. He reminded them that the Supreme Court had already canceled the earlier 2025 budget that was submitted by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
