The Rivers State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo has dismissed the resolution passed by Martin Amaewhule led Assembly threatening to bar Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State Government from withdrawing money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
It would be recalled that the lawmakers loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and led by Amaewhule had written to the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara threatening to shutdown his (governor) further expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state.
The resolution was reached on Monday, at the plenary sitting of the House led by the factional Speaker, Amaewhule.
Reacting to the threat on Monday, the lawmakers loyal to Governor Fubara and led by Oko-Jumbo wondered the basis of such audacity of Amaewhule led Assembly when their seats had been allegedly declared vacant on December 13, 2023, by Edison Ehie, who was then the recognised Speaker of the 10th State House of Assembly.
Oko-Jumbo stated: “The House states as follows: On the 11th Day of December, 2023, at the 87th Legislative sitting of the House, former Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and the 24 former members defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“By virtue of Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which are self executing, and consequent upon their defection, on the 13th Day of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, Esq, PhD, as the then duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Hon Justice Danagogo on the 12th Day of December, 2023, in Suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, and pursuant to Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant.”
Oko-Jumbo, therefore, said “is laughable to have heard and seen the news of the illegal sitting of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule on television screens and social media space on the 15th Day of July, 2024”.
He noted that the resolution by Amaewhule led Assembly threatened that the House will declare a shutdown on expenditures, until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the illegal House.
Oko-Jumbo further stated that the purported resolution directed the Governor to desist from further authorisation of withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State, while directing all Rivers State Government Ministries, Commissions, Agencies, Departments and Extra-Ministerial Departments to desist from spending taxpayers’ funds until the 2024 Appropriation Bill is laid before the former lawmakers.
But the Speaker insisted: “Consequent upon constitutional provisions and the declaration of their seats vacant, the recognised 10th Rivers State House of Assembly is the one led by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo. Thus, the Rivers State Government has ceased paying any form of salaries, allowances or statutory remunerations to the former members.
“The 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, which is the legitimate House under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo is the only one recognised by law and the Rivers State Government, and thus, has been receiving all statutory allocations due the House of Assembly.
“And has been discharging its financial obligations by paying the salaries of the recognised Honourable members of the House, their aides, and allowances of the public servants in the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Oko-Jumbo said Amaewhule and the 24 ex-lawmakers had hinged their resolution on Section 122 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers a State Governor to continue to make appropriations for six months, from the budget of the previous fiscal year, where for any reason, he was unable to present an Appropriation Bill to the House.
He noted, “May I remind the defected members that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie. And it was duly passed on the 13th Day of December, 2023, and assented to on the 14th Day of December, 2023.
“This House awaits to receive from His Excellency, the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next 3 financial years, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, No 8 of 2010, in order to prepare for the 2025 fiscal year.”
He however, urged the general public to disregard and ignore threat, “from those misguided former members, and also discountenance their illegal actions”.
Oko-Jumbo further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite preparations towards the conduct of a bye-election to fill the vacant seats allegedly created in the State House of Assembly by the defected lawmakers.
Blessing Ibunge
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