Lawmakers in Rivers State have charged Governor Siminalayi Fubara with purposefully postponing the approval of the 2025 budget in order to put his own interests ahead of the government.
According to reports, the Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate members who supported FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has heightened tensions between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly, leading to contentious discussions with Speaker Martins Amaewhule and 27 lawmakers.
Speaking on the subject, Hon. Enemi George, the Assembly’s spokesperson and chairman of the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Information, refuted the governor’s assertion that he tried to present the budget but was turned away, claiming that the Assembly had not yet received a formal letter.
He also claimed that important budgetary allocations, such as salaries and pensions, are being impacted by Fubara’s lack of interaction with the legislature.
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, Governor Fubara recently accused the Assembly of impeding his attempts to re-present the 2025 budget.
Hon. George, however, denied this assertion, saying: “We have been pleading with the governor to provide the budget; if he hasn’t done so, that is his choice. According to the governor, he tried to submit the budget in the House of Assembly Quarters after writing to us, but we locked him out. That is just false. The governor did not write to the House of Assembly at the time he claimed. He has already written to the Assembly, especially when he asked that we review his commissioners and when he offered a supplemental budget.
Nothing has changed; it is still a straightforward and easy process. His assistant claimed that the first time, they used WhatsApp to send a letter. That is not how it is done, and there was no such thing even then. His letter announcing his plan to offer the 2025 budget has now been making the rounds on social media. However, we didn’t receive any such correspondence. It is obvious that the public, not us, is the letter’s intended destination. He is influencing public opinion. In the past, I’ve pushed him to show me a copy of any correspondence he wrote to the House of Assembly. He’s just not being honest. The governor is tampering with Rivers State residents’ lives.
Hon. George further disclosed that following the Supreme Court ruling, the Assembly had formally invited the governor to present the budget.
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We responded to him right away following the Supreme Court’s ruling, requesting that he provide the budget within 48 hours. We estimate that we would have held the budget hearing by this month’s 15th, allowing us to pass it on the 16th. In this manner, we could finish the required procedures with the federal government in two weeks, guaranteeing the delivery of cash and the distribution of allotments, such as salaries and pensions.
Many retirees, including his own mother, were waiting for their money, he said, underscoring the severity of the matter.
The budget’s passage is even more beneficial to us because the governor owes us money as well. But he is unable to take action because of his ego and self-interest. What he gave those three men was only a blank box if the budget wasn’t ready. We would have understood how to handle the matter if he had written to us and asked, “Guys, please give me some time to work things out.” Sincerity is lacking from the governor. There are no letters from him in the House of Assembly, and he never wrote to us. They are only mentioned on social media.
