Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has sent a letter to the state house of assembly, which is led by Martin Amaewhule, asking for a new date for the 2025 appropriations bill’s introduction.
In the March 13 letter, which Fubara personally signed, the governor of Rivers suggested that the budget be presented on Wednesday or at any other time in March that works for the parliamentarians.
Despite advance notification, the Rivers governor said in the letter that he and his group were not allowed entry to the Rivers assembly facility on Wednesday.
According to Fubara, his actions are in accordance with the February 28 ruling of the Supreme Court, which mandated that the budget be presented to the parliament.
“Recall further that before this unfortunate incident (referring to the Wednesday blockade), the house issued a 48-hour ultimatum to present the 2025 budget even when we were yet to be served with the certified true copy of the judgment and accompanying enrolled orders,” the letter reads.
“Therefore, we were simply complying with both the order of the Supreme Court and the request of the Rivers State House of Assembly when we came to present the 2025 budget on the 12th of March, 2025.
“The supreme court has directed that all arms of government should exercise their powers and perform their duties within the ambits of the Constitution and ordinary laws of our country, and this we must do to end the lingering stalemate and advance the progress of our State and the well-being of our people.
“No matter the depth of our differences, we believe the interests of the State and our people should take priority over political conflicts.
READ ALSO: Court Rejects Bail for Terror Suspects Tied to Notorious Warlord Bello Turji
“Against this background, it is my pleasure to again notify you, Mr. Speaker, of my desire and intention to present the 2025 Budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday, 19th March, 2025 by 11.00 am. or any other date within March 2025 that you may consider convenient.”
BACKGROUND
In order to deliver the 2025 budget, Fubara and a few of his commissioners were denied entry to the Rivers House of Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The development followed the Supreme Court’s recent ruling regarding the state’s political dilemma.
A struggle for dominance over governance of the state’s political system has been going on between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Rivers assembly became polarised as a result of the rift. The faction led by Awaewhule is devoted to Wike.
The governor’s loyalist state house of assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, was presented with a N1.1 trillion 2025 budget plan in December 2024.
