By Suleiman Anyalewechi & Ayodele Oni
-
Rejects Administrative Heads to lead Councils till Election ●Proceeds on a two-month vacation from Friday.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara was right when, in his state-wide broadcast on Sunday, in reaction to the Supreme Court ruling of his Government’s case with majority members of the House of Assembly, he told the people that: “Difficult times are with us again.”
Indeed, for Governor Fubara, there is no breathing space.
In their first day of resumption, Monday, based on the Supreme Court judgments which confirmed Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker, and his group as still members of the House of Assembly, they issued a 48 hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
There was no discussion or consideration of, perhaps, the Governor’s engagements prior to their resumption. It is an ultimatum.
The Assembly, also, faulted Governor Siminalayi’s directive to Administrative Heads to take over the reigns of governance at the Local Governments.
The Source Supreme Court had, on Friday, February 28, 2025 ruled among other things to recognize the 27 pro-Wike defected law makers as authentic members of the legislative body, with an order for the Governor to re-present to them ,the 2025 budget which four member House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo had considered and passed into law.
The Court also annulled the October 6 2024 Local Government Election held in Rivers State during which the Governor’s loyalists swept the polls. On that in his broadcast, the Governor had ordered the sacked Chairnen to handover to Administrative Head of the Councils on Monday, pending when a new Election will be organised.
It will be recalled that the four member House of Assembly, had late December, 2024, passed the state’s N1. 1 trillion fiscal estimate for the year 2025.
The bill was signed into law on January 2, 2025 by Governor Fubara.
The Supreme Court also ruled to halt further remittance of Federal Statutory revenue to Rivers State until the re-presentation of the budget to the Assembly led by Speaker Amaewfule.
At plenary on Monday ,the House, in a motion moved by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Dumle Maol, reminded Governor Fubara of the Supreme Court’s pronouncement and the need for him to obey the order .
“That pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court in Suit number : SC/CV/1174/2024 for the stoppage of statutory Federal Allocations to the Rivers state Government, and halting of spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State, pending the passage of an Appropriation Bill, you are requested to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the provisions of the Constitution as amended .
“That the House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours” the Assembly stated.
The Assembly, also, noted that the directives for Administrative Heads to take over the Local Councils is not in consonance with constitutional provisions.
In a state wide broadcast on Sunday, March 2, 2025, Governor Fubara directed the local officials, to vacate office, and allow Administrative Heads to hold the forte until new election is held.
But the Lawmakers are insisting that both the Supreme Court verdict and extant constitutional provisions are against the administration of the Local Governments by any other persons outside of duly democratically elected officials .
The House equally announced its intentions to proceed on a long, overdue recess by Friday this week, having been working for the past two years without a break.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
