Port Harcourt, Nigeria, January 12, 2024: The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally requested Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 appropriation bill for consideration. In a letter dated January 9 and addressed to Governor Fubara, the lawmakers expressed concern that the 2024 appropriation bill is yet to be laid before the House.
The letter, signed by the Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, urged the governor to fulfill these constitutional responsibilities promptly, emphasizing the need to address the matter before the House proceeds on recess.
This decision was reached during a plenary session on Tuesday, with 24 out of 31 members in attendance and voting in favour, as seen in a video shared on Facebook.
If Governor Fubara complies with this demand, it will be the second time in less than a month that he will present the state appropriation bill to the assembly. On December 13, 2023, Governor Fubara presented the state’s N800 billion 2024 budget to the then four-member assembly, which swiftly passed it within 24 hours, and he promptly assented to it.
Rivers State has been grappling with a political crisis since October of the previous year when some lawmakers attempted to impeach the governor. The crisis, stemming from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, has led to a split within the assembly, with factions loyal to each leader.
In an attempt to resolve the crisis, President Bola Tinubu mediated a meeting last month where a peace deal was signed between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike. As part of the deal, the pro-Wike lawmakers, whose seats were declared vacant after defecting to the APC, returned to the assembly, and Governor Fubara was expected to re-present the 2024 budget.
