Rivers Civil Servants Threaten To Embark On Mass Protest Over Budget Delay

A coalition of civil servants in Rivers State, along with the Rivers Solidarity for Good Governance, has issued a strong warning to the state House of Assembly, demanding that the 2025 budget be received from the executive branch by Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the group, led by Opu-Oyibo Lilly-West, condemned the Assembly’s delay, calling it a reckless obstruction of governance.

They argued that the budget impasse has created financial uncertainty for thousands of workers, market traders, and residents, putting salaries and critical contracts at risk.

“Your blatant disregard for the urgent needs of our state has placed critical contracts and salaries at risk.

“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,t,” Lilly-West stated.

The coalition insisted that the budget must be submitted and fully presented before the Assembly by the deadline, as requested by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

They described their demand as a collective stand backed by thousands of civil servants and their families.

They warned that failure to comply would trigger mass protests, stressing that they would not accept further political delays.

“The tide of resistance will be unstoppable. 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,” they added.

The coalition urged the Assembly to put an end to what they called political games and focus on its responsibility to the people.

KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Siminalayi Fubara recently wrote to the State House of Assembly, proposing Wednesday, March 19, as the new date for presenting the 2025 budget.