Rivers assembly gives Gov. Fubara 48 hours to re-present 2025 budget
The Rivers House of Assembly has written to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, urging him to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours.
The House made this known in a five-point resolution by Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly at plenary on Monday in Port-Harcourt.
The Amaewhule-led members of the assembly resumed on Monday, following a Supreme Court order on February 28, which stopped federal allocations to Rivers until the state government recognised the Amaewhule-led members of the assembly.
By the Supreme Court directive, the N1.1 trillion appropriation bill presented by a rival speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, to the governor for assent in January was also nullified.
Mr Amaewhule said the governor’s quick response to the resolution was urgent to enable the state to tackle the impending financial crisis following the halt of statutory federal allocations to the state by the Supreme Court.
The plenary also deliberated on the annulled local government election by the Supreme Court.
The letter to the governor read, in part:
”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 government and halting spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the 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 House, also in its letter, announced readiness to commence the process of amending the Rivers Local Government Law and the State Independent Electoral Commission law to pave the way for fresh local government elections.
The House also drew his attention to the 2023 amendment to the constitution, which prohibited Heads of Local Government Administrators (HLGAs) or individuals other than democratically elected persons to head local government administration.
Mr Fubara, in response to the nullification of the local government election by the Supreme Court, had ordered HLGAs in the 23 local government areas to immediately assume office as administrators of the local councils.
(NAN)
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