The political turmoil in Rivers State escalated on Tuesday as lawmakers accused the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of failing to present the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly.
During the first plenary of the Assembly, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, expressed concern over the absence of the 2024 Appropriation Bill and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, stating that the state was currently operating without an approved budget.
“The 2024 Appropriation Bill is yet to get to this August assembly. As it stands today, we have not received the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, we have not received the appropriation bill for 2024. It means the state at the moment is operating without a budget approved by this August assembly in line with the 1999 Constitution as altered,” Speaker Amaewhule declared.
The crisis deepened as two bills, seemingly designed to diminish the powers of the governor and empower the Assembly, passed the first reading on the floor of the House.
Governor Fubara had initially presented a budget of N800 billion for 2024 to a four-man House of Assembly for approval on December 13, 2023. However, in a swift move, he signed the budget into law on December 14, just 24 hours after its presentation to the lawmakers.
As part of a peace accord brokered by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the political crisis in the state, Fubara is expected to re-present the budget. The peace accord aims to find common ground between the governor and the Assembly, considering the ongoing political realignments in the state.
Speaker Amaewhule leads the 25-member House of Assembly, reportedly loyal to the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the FCT Minister under President Tinubu’s administration.
The governor is yet to respond to the lawmakers’ accusations and demands, raising concerns about the budget approval process and the ongoing power struggle between the executive and legislative arms of the Rivers State government. The unfolding events are closely watched by political observers, as the state grapples with internal political dynamics amidst the national political landscape.