The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget for consideration by the lawmakers.
This was disclosed during a plenary session in Port Harcourt on Monday, following a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol.
The lawmakers, in a resolution signed by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, stated, “Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s order in Suit No. SC/CV/1174/2024, which halts statutory federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and suspends spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State until the passage of an Appropriation Bill, we request that you present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.” They further emphasized, “The House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours.”
In his remarks, Amaewhule criticized Governor Fubara’s directive to the heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) to assume control of the councils, deeming it illegal and in violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The lawmakers reminded the governor of “the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023, and the Supreme Court Judgment in Suit No. SC/CV/343/2024, which prohibits the administration of local governments by HLGAs or anyone other than democratically elected officials.”
The House also resolved to go on recess by Friday, after having worked continuously for the past two years. Notably, the 2024 budget was not mentioned during the plenary.
Governor Fubara had signed a ₦1.1 trillion 2025 budget into law on January 2nd, after presenting it to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers. However, months later, specifically last week, the Supreme Court ordered Martin Amaewhule and his group of lawmakers to resume sitting as legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Abuja effectively ended a prolonged dispute over the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly, with two factions of lawmakers claiming legitimacy.
In their first sitting following the historic judgment, the Rivers State Assembly requested that Governor Fubara present the bill he had named the “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” adding a new twist to the state’s political landscape.
In addition to instructing Amaewhule and his colleagues to resume sitting, the Supreme Court also directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold allocations for Rivers State until the government complies with the court’s orders.
Following the court ruling, Governor Fubara called for fresh local government elections, pledging to adhere to the apex court’s judgment. He also directed the HLGAs to take over the administration of the 23 local government councils in the interim, pending the elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
Fubara further instructed outgoing local government chairmen to officially hand over authority to the HLGAs by Monday, March 3rd, 2025.
