Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has signed the N1.18 trillion 2025 appropriation bill at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday, just 72 hours after the budget proposal was presented to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
A total of N462,254,153,418 was allocated to recurrent expenditure and N678,088,433,692 for capital projects. This brings the total appropriation to N1,188,962,739,932.
Speaking at the event, Fubara emphasised his administration’s stance on the lingering division within the Rivers Assembly.
“We have one assembly, and that assembly is headed by Honourable Victor Oko-Jumbo. As far as I’m concerned, we have moved on,” he stated.
This year’s budget signing mirrors the events of December 2023, when Fubara presented and signed the 2024 N800 billion budget within 24 hours. At the time, the Rivers Assembly had five members loyal to Fubara under the leadership of Edison Ehie.
However, Ehie later resigned as a lawmaker to become the governor’s chief of staff, reducing the faction’s strength to four members.
Victor Oko-Jumbo subsequently assumed the role of speaker for the Fubara-aligned assembly faction. Meanwhile, a rival faction, led by Martin Amaewhule, remains loyal to Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The assembly has been divided since 2023, stemming from a political feud between Governor Fubara and Wike.
The factionalised legislature has not deterred Fubara’s administration from advancing its governance agenda. The swift presentation and signing of the 2025 budget underscore the governor’s commitment to maintaining administrative momentum despite political challenges.
Chioma Kalu
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