Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, on Monday, stopped all expenditures of Governor Siminalayi Fubara until he presents his budget before the lawmakers.
The Assembly took this decision during plenary on Monday, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum the lawmakers earlier issued to the Governor to present his budget before the House.
Leader of the House, Major Jack, raised the motion informing the House about the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to Governor Fubara to present the 2024 budget before the House.
At the end of their deliberation, the House voted to shut down the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account, thereby preventing the Fubara-led administration from spending any money on behalf of the state.
Recall that on July 8, the Amaewhule-led Assembly gave Fubara a seven-day deadline to resubmit the 2024 budget, accusing 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.
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.
Several efforts from different quarters to settle the perennial political crisis between Governor Fubara’s loyalists and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have so far been unsuccessful.
is marked by repeated interventions to settle their differences.
