The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has taken a strong stance by shutting down all expenditures of Governor Siminalayi Fubara until he presents his budget before the lawmakers.
This move was made during plenary on Monday, following a seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to present his budget before the House.
According to the Leader of the House, Major Jack, “The seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to present the 2024 budget has expired, and we cannot continue to allow the governor to spend money without a budget.”
After deliberation, the House voted to shut down the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account, thus preventing Fubara’s administration from spending any money on behalf of the state.
The Amaewhule-led Assembly had previously given Fubara a seven-day deadline to resubmit the 2024 budget and accused him of breaching the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended. In a letter dated July 8, 2024, signed by Amaewhule and sent to Fubara on Monday, the House highlighted the governor’s actions that breached the Constitution.
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This order was issued during the first session of the pro-Wike House after a hiatus of several months. Fubara had previously presented the budget to the faction, with his current Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, presiding as Speaker.
Ehie and the pro-Fubara lawmakers passed the budget estimates, which the governor then signed into law.
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