Senator Lee Maeba, a former senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District and a respected voice in the state’s political landscape, has sounded the alarm on an impending economic crisis in Rivers State.
In a strongly worded letter to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday 17, March 2025, Maeba warned that the state is on the brink of a catastrophic shutdown due to a Supreme Court judgment that dissolved the 23 elected local government councils in the state, effectively crippling the state’s ability to access funds from the Federation Account.
This development has sent shockwaves throughout the state, sparking widespread concern among stakeholders, including government officials, business leaders, and ordinary citizens, who fear that the state may be plunged into chaos if urgent action is not taken.
“The judgment also dissolved the 23 elected local government councils in the state. This implies that there will be no funds for the 23 local government councils from the Federation Accounts, as the current status is non-release of funds to unelected councils in Nigeria,” Maeba wrote in his letter.
He emphasized that this development has severe implications for the state, as it will be denied its share of funds from the Federation Account.
“The non-release of funds to the 23 local government councils in Rivers State will lead to a total shutdown of all local government councils in the state.
This will have a devastating impact on the people of Rivers State, who rely on these councils for essential services,” Maeba warned.
The judgment also suspended the release of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, effectively barring the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant General from releasing funds due to the Rivers State government.
This development has sparked widespread concern among stakeholders, who fear that the state may be plunged into chaos if urgent action is not taken.
“Rivers State will become the first state in the country, since independence in 1960, to be denied its share of funds from the Federation Account. Possibly, it will be the first state government to be shut down in Nigeria’s history,” Maeba warned. He noted that this will have far-reaching consequences for the state and its people, including the potential loss of lives and livelihoods.
Maeba, who was elected senator in 2003 at the age of 37, cautioned that the impending shutdown will have devastating consequences for the state’s education sector.
“All schools, from primary to tertiary levels, will be forced to shut down, denying students the opportunity to participate in crucial exams like JSC, SSC, WAEC, NECO, and JAMB,” he wrote.
The former senator also warned that the shutdown will have severe implications for the state’s healthcare sector. “Primary Healthcare centers, General Hospitals, and Teaching Hospitals will shut down, leading to devastating public health and medical consequences,” he wrote. He emphasized that this will include potential deaths of children and adults, who will be denied access to essential medical services.
“The people and residents of the state without exception are bound to suffer avoidable calamities of economic, social and political upheavals that might sink us deeper into unimaginable crises,” Maeba wrote.
He appealed to the Assembly to take immediate action to prevent the shutdown, emphasizing that the fate of the state hangs in the balance.
“My honorable members of the Rivers House of Assembly, it’s time for you to act swiftly to avoid the looming crisis of a potential government shutdown,” Maeba wrote.
He called on the Assembly to receive the Rivers State 2025 Appropriations bill from Governor Siminalayi Fubara and ensure quick deliberations and passage of the bill for assent.
Maeba emphasized that this is the only way to prevent a catastrophic shutdown and restore normalcy to the state.
He also appealed to the Assembly to put the interests of the people of Rivers State above their personal interests and take immediate action to prevent the shutdown. “The clock is ticking, and the fate of Rivers State hangs in the balance. I urge you to act swiftly and decisively to prevent this looming crisis,” Maeba wrote.
