A review by SaharaReporters of the Cross River State budget performance document for the first half of 2025 shows that N8 billion was allocated for the construction of a new Assembly complex.
This figure exceeds the budgetary provisions for several critical sectors. For example, water facilities are projected to cost N5.7 billion, while hospitals and health centres are budgeted at N4.8 billion, both below the allocation for the Assembly project.
Similarly, the construction of public schools is allotted N5.3 billion, and just N5.5 billion is earmarked for state-wide infrastructure development.
Rehabilitation efforts receive even less: N237 million for water facilities and N2.8 billion for hospitals and health centres.
A previous SaharaReporters review of the approved 2025 Cross River State budget shows plans to borrow N175 billion within the fiscal year. With a total budget of N538.5 billion, this means that 32.5% of the budget will be financed through borrowing.
The proposed borrowing exceeds the N106 billion allocated for personnel costs and is accompanied by a separate provision of N50 billion for debt servicing in 2025.
SaharaReporters had earlier exposed a recurring pattern of questionable spending in the state’s budgets, particularly in relation to the rehabilitation of the governor’s offices.
In 2024, official records show that N7.6 billion was spent on rehabilitating the governor’s offices, even though only N4 billion was approved, indicating an extra N3.6 billion was spent without any budgetary backing.
The initial 2024 budget had earmarked just N1 billion for the rehabilitation project.
However, in July 2024, the State House of Assembly approved a supplementary budget raising it to N4 billion. Despite no further allocations being approved, expenditure ballooned well beyond that figure.
For 2025, official documents reveal yet another N200 million allocation for the rehabilitation of the governor’s offices, continuing the trend of questionable budget priorities.
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