Fubara will soon present 2025 budget proposal, says Rivers speaker

Victor Oko-Jumbo, speaker of the faction of the Rivers house of assembly, says Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, will soon present the 2025 budget proposal.

Oko-Jumbo spoke on Saturday at the inauguration of ultra-modern community town halls and flag-off of scholarship/empowerment programme in Bonny LGA of the state.

“We will not be distracted by the enemies of Rivers state. We will not be distracted by the 25 former members of the house of assembly,” he said.

“Let me use this medium to assure you that we will not rest on our oars until we ensure rapid development comes to Bonny kingdom.

“There are so many things that we need as a people. But let me remind you that as speaker of the house of assembly, 2025 budget will soon be passed; which means that Bonny local government will be captured in the 2025 budget that will be presented soon by his excellency.”

RIVERS BUDGET CRISIS

The Rivers house of assembly has been factionalised since 2023, following the fall out between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, his predecessor and minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

In October 2023, Ehie Edison, a member loyal to Fubara, was elected speaker of the factional assembly after his removal as house leader by lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule.

Edison later resigned as lawmaker to become chief of staff to the governor.

In December 2023, 27 lawmakers of the assembly led by Amaewhule, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At a session presided by Ehie, Fubara presented an N800 billion appropriation bill titled: ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’ to five out of the over 30 lawmakers of the assembly.

In January 2024, a federal high court in Abuja voided and set aside the presentation and passage of the state’s 2024 budget.

James Omotoso, the presiding judge, ordered Fubara to re-present the budget to the “legally” constituted house of assembly led by Amaewhule.

In July, the Amaewhule faction instituted a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24 against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and nine others, asking the court to stop the apex bank, commercial banks, and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) from honouring any financial instruction from Fubara.

In October, a court of appeal in Abuja affirmed the judgment of the federal high court voiding the presentation and passage of the 2024 budget for Rivers state

Days later, a federal high court in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN ) from further releasing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.

The court held that monies from the federation account should not be released to the state pending the passage of a lawful appropriation act by a validly constituted house of assembly.

Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, issued the verdict following a suit filed by Amaewhule.

Abdulmalik held that Fubara was wrong to have presented the state’s 2024 Appropriation Bill to a five-member assembly “that was not properly constituted”.