Politics

Re-Present 2024 Budget, Pro-Wike Assembly Tells Fubara

Published

4 months ago

Jul 8, 2024.

Rivers Assembly Blocks Fubara from Spending

The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has given Governor Siminialayi Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget to the House.

Eko Hot Blog report that the faction of the state assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, made this demand during a resumed sitting at an undisclosed location in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Last week, a Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the order of the Rivers State High Court, which had stopped Amaewhule and 24 other legislators from parading themselves as lawmakers and sitting as legislators.

It should be noted that Fubara had initially presented an appropriation bill of about N800 billion for the 2024 fiscal year to the House, then led by Edison Ehie as Speaker. Ehie later resigned to be appointed Chief of Staff to the governor. The bill was deliberated upon, passed, and subsequently signed into law by the governor.

However, President Bola Tinubu, intervening in the state’s crisis with an eight-point resolution, directed the governor to re-present the already passed 2024 budget to the assembly led by Amaewhule.

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On Monday, Amaewhule, who presided over the plenary, issued the ultimatum following a resolution by the House. This followed a motion by House Committee Chairman, Dumped Mao, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the assembly. Amaewhule put the motion to vote, leading to a resolution agreed upon by the members present.

The lawmakers also resolved to communicate their decision to Governor Fubara through a letter.

Meanwhile, the Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo-led assembly, loyal to Governor Fubara, held a parallel sitting where a commissioner nominee was screened and confirmed for possible swearing-in.

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