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The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget.
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The lawmakers made this demand during a plenary session in Port Harcourt on Monday, citing the need for the budget to be presented in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
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The development comes after the Supreme Court ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold allocations to Rivers State until the state purges itself of disobedience to court orders.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers for consideration.
The demand was made during a plenary session in Port Harcourt on Monday, March 3, 2025.
The motion was moved by the deputy speaker, Dumle Maol, who cited the need for the budget to be presented in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
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The lawmakers also drew Fubara’s attention to the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023, as well as the judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No.: SC/CV/343/2024.
“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,” the resolution added.
Interestingly, 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. However, the Supreme Court’s recent judgment has added a fresh twist to the political developments in Rivers State.
The lawmakers also condemned Fubara’s directive to the heads of Local Government Administration to take charge of the councils, describing it as illegal and against the Supreme Court’s decision.
Furthermore, the governor has called for fresh council polls in the state, promising to obey the judgment of the apex court.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court Nullifies Rivers Local Government Elections
“Furthermore, given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission,” Fubara said in a state broadcast.
He asked the “outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, 3rd March 2025”.
Pastors in Police Net For Raping Corps Member in Rivers
Two pastors have been arrested by the Ricers State Police Command for allegedly raping a 27-year old female member of the National Youths Service Corps.
The corps member (names withheld) who is posted to the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state to serve her fatherland was allegedly raped during a birthday party of one of the culprits.
