The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers.
The Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers made this known 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.”
“That the House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours,'' the lawmakers said in a resolution signed by the Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
In his remarks, Amaewhule condemned 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”.
The House resolved to go on recess by Friday because they have been working for the past two years nonstop.
Governor Fubara had on January 2nd, signed a ₦1.1 trillion 2025 Budget into law after presenting it to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers.
But weeks later, the Supreme Court ordered Martin Amaewhule and the group of lawmakers he is leading to resume sitting as legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court also barred the CBN from releasing funds to the state government until the governor re-presents the state budget to the Amaewhule-led assembly.
