Rivers Civil Servants Threaten Mass Protest Over Budget Delay

The state House of Assembly is being threatened by a coalition of concerned civil servants in Rivers State, along with the Rivers Solidarity for Good Governance, by demanding the executive branch’s release by Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

The organizations criticized “reckless inaction and obstructing governance,” warning of widespread opposition if their demands are not met.

The Rivers State House of Assembly was criticized by the civil servants led by Opu-Oyibo Lilly-West at a media briefing on Tuesday in Port Harcourt for their ongoing delay in receiving the state budget, which they claimed has left thousands of workers, market traders, and residents in economic uncertainty.

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Critical contracts and salaries are in danger due to your flagrant disregard for the urgent needs of our state.

You have endangered the future of our public institutions and betrayed the trust of every person who rely on a stable, effective government, said Lilly-West.

According to the groups’ demands, the budget must be submitted without delay and be fully presented to the Assembly by March 19, 2025, as requested in the governor’s letter.

They referred to their demand as “a command supported by the righteous fury of thousands of civil servants, their families, and the broader community.”

The coalition expressed concern that large-scale protests would result from non-compliance, stressing that they would not allow any more delay or political maneuvering.

The groups declared that the resistance’s momentum would not stop. This will be a flagrant breach, and the collective strength of the civil service and the distressed voices of our people will rise in defiant protest. This is a promise of action rather than a threat.

Source: Channels TV