Pro-Wike lawmakers give Fubara 48 hours to present 2025 budget
Following the Supreme Court judgment that recognised Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, the lawmakers loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike have ordered Governor Sim Fubara to present the 2025 budget within 48 hours.
The governor had signed the 2025 N1.1trn Appropriation Bill into law, following its approval by the five-man Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo on January 2, this year.
The Apex court recognized lawmakers made gave the order during plenary in Port Harcourt on Monday with the motion moved by the deputy speaker Dumle Maol.
“That pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court in Suit no.: SC/CV/1174/2024 for the stoppage of Statutory Federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and halting of spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State pending the passage of an Appropriation Bill, you are requested to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended,” the lawmakers said in a resolution signed by the Speaker Martin Amaewhule. “That the House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours.
In his remarks, Amaewhule condemned the Fubara’s directive to the heads of Local Government Administration to take charge of the councils, saying it is illegal and against the Supreme Court’s decision.
The lawmakers drew the governor’s attention to “the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended; the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023 as well as the Judgement of the Supreme Court in Suit No.: SC/CV/343/2024 that prohibits the administration of Local Governments by HLGAs or any other persons other than democratically elected officials”.
That move ended months of tussle over the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly with two sets of lawmakers laying claim to the legislative body.
However, in their first sitting after the historic judgement, the Rivers State Assembly asked Fubara to present the bill he had christened “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” adding a fresh layer of twist to the political events in the oil-rich state.
Apart from ordering Amaewhule and other lawmakers to begin sitting, the Supreme Court had also mandated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold allocations for Rivers until it purges itself of what the court describes as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
It equally nullified the local government elections in Rivers State which were conducted last year.
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