Rivers Budget: Again, Lawmakers  Shun Fubara, Proceed On  Indefinite Break

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

“No matter the depth of our differences, we believe that the interests of the State and our people should take priority over political conflicts” – Fubara, in letter to Lawmakers

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday  March 14, 2025, proceeded on an indefinite recess.

The decision of the Legislative Body to adjourn proceedings is coming just as Governor Siminalayi Fubara wrote  to request for a date for  the re-presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

The Source reports that the Supreme Court had in its verdict in the Rivers State consolidated cases, on February 28, 2025, ordered the stoppage of the State’s Federal Allocation pending when the budget will be represented to the whole House including the 27 pro-Wike Lawmakers who had earlier defected from their party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

An attempt by the Governor to re-present the budget estimate on on Wednesday, March 12, was aborted owing to the Lawmakers’ refusal to receive him at their Legislative quarters.

The Governor was  locked out at the entrance to the Assembly quarters.

However, the legislators said they never gave their consent for the Governor to come on the day he did.

While acknowledging the Governor’s letter requesting to re-present the budget ,the House insisted that the Governor ought to have waited for a response before coming.

Similarly, the political godfather of the Martin Amaewfule-led House of Assembly, Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, berated the Governor for coming to  the Legislative quarters without invitation.

Wike the immediate past Governor of Rivers State accused Governor Fubara of only playing to the gallery by coming to the House without first getting a response to his letter of request.

However, despite the humiliation, the Governor on Friday, sent in a second letter to the legislators, expressing his intention to represent the appropriation bill next week Wednesday, March 19, 2025, or any other date deemed convenient by the House .

The Governor explained that the quest to represent the budget estimate is in compliance  with the Supreme Court’s judgment of February 28, 2025.

In the new letter, Governor Fubara recalled the earlier 48-hour dateline given to him by the Lawmakers to represent the appropriation bill, and his inability to do so owing to the unavailability of the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the Court’s verdict at the time of the ultimatum.

He, also, made mention of how he was denied access to the  Assembly Quarters when he came for the representation of the budget estimate on Wednesday March 12.

The new letter from the Governor to the Lawmakers, through the Speaker, Rt Hon. Amaewfule, was dated March 13, 2025.

But curiously, rather than attend to the Governor’s request for a date for the budget representation, the House on Friday resolved to adjourn sine die during plenary presided over by Speaker Amaewfule.

The Assembly’s disposition has once again reaffirmed its determination not to back down on its avowed mission to  humiliate the Governor and paralyze Government business in Rivers State.

This is even as Governor Fubara had in his latest letter sued for peace and understanding on the part of all parties in the logjam in the overall interests of the State and the people.

He had appealed for all arms of Government to operate within the acceptable and constitutional and legal framework for the good of Rivers people.

“No matter the depth of our differences, we believe the interests of the State and our people should take priority over political conflicts”, Governor Fubara stated .