Amidst the festering political crisis, factional Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule has shut all expenditures of the Rivers state government until Governor Siminalayi Fubara re-presents the controversial 2024 annual budget before the House.
Recall that the seven-day ultimatum given to the governor by the House last Monday to respect the order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to re-present the budget before the Amaewhule-led House among other resolutions, expired yesterday.
The Leader of the House, Hon Major Jack raised the motion informing the House about the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to re-present the 2024 budget before the House.
After deliberations, the House voted to shut down the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account thus preventing Governor Fubara’s administration from spending any money on behalf of the state. it is very doubtful if the state government would honour such directives from the Amaewhule group haven been earlier dismissed by the Governor Fubara as people not recognized by law.
Meanwhile, there is a growing tension following the expiration of the ultimatum issued to Governor Siminalayi Fubara by Martins Amaewhule lawmakers. The Amaewhule-led House of Assembly had issued a 7-day ultimatum to Governor Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget of the state within seven days which expired yesterday, Monday.
The ultimatum which was issued on July 8, followed a motion by Dumle Maol, Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and Deputy Speaker of the Pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly. Maol urged the House to instruct the Governor to present the budget again, referring to a recent court ruling that confirmed their membership and validated Amaewhule’s leadership.
Re-submitting the budget was a crucial part of the presidential peace pact aimed at resolving the political crisis in the state. However, Governor Fubara had already submitted the ₦800bn budget to the Assembly led bythe former Speaker, Edison Ehie, now the Chief of Staff, Government House, which was subsequently passed and signed into law.
The Speaker, Oko-Jumbo had since approached the Supreme Court with the aim of setting aside the Appeal Court judgment of last week which set aside all judgements given by the Port Harcourt High Court.
