Rivers Governor Fubara Signs N800bn Appropriation Bill Into Law in 24 Hours; Defected Lawmakers Sit, Pass Two Bills 

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has signed into law, the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N800bn into law. This comes a day after he presented the budget estimate to the State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie.

Meanwhile state lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC, led by Martins Amaehule, held its 88th Legislative Sitting in the auditorium of the House of Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, and has passed the Rivers State House of Assembly Funds Management (Financial Autonomy) Bill, 2023.

The bill was passed after debating on the Report of the House Committee on Public Accounts on the bill. Fubara’s bill signing ceremony was held on Thursday in the conference room of the Governor’s Office at the Government House.

According to reports, Fubara had during his presentation to the assembly said the N800 billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year was aimed at promoting economic development through inclusive growth and addressing socio-economic inequality in the state.

He added that the N800, 392,485,433.01 billion constitutes a Recurrent Expenditure of 361,598,242,570.85 and a Capital Expenditure of 410,266,485,090.64.

Meanwhile “factional speaker” Martin Chike Amaewhule, emphasized the importance of the passage of the Financial Autonomy Bill, noting that it will make room for the management of funds accruing to the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.

He also added that the law will ensure accountability and efficient utilisation of funds.

The defected lawmakers passed the Rivers State Local Government Law, No. 5 of 2018 (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after a robust debate on the Report of the House Committee on Local Government which was presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ignatius Onwuka.

Commenting on the report, Amaewhule stated that the House decided to delete some sections of the Law and amended some other sections because those sections were anachronistic and an anathema to democratic principles.

Amaewhule encouraged that with the passage of the amendment Bill, elected Local Government Council chairmen and Councillors would be liberated from arbitrary removals and suspensions.

Meanwhile, the “Rivers State House of Assembly” has via a Motion, adopted and converted the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters as its hallowed Chamber, as the House condemned in an unequivocal term what it described as heartless and brazen demolition of the House of Assembly complex by Governor Siminialayi Fubara, without the approval and knowledge of the House.

The House, in a Motion sponsored by 26 Members and moved by Hon. Ofiks Kabang, Member, representing Andoni Constituency in the House, drew the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police and the International community, to the constant attack by Governor Fubara on the Legislature of Rivers State.

Amaewhule further hinted that the House would write to the United Nations and governments of other well-known democracies on the actions of the Governor against the Legislature, emphatically stating that no amount of harassment, intimidation and mindless attacks against the legislature would make them shy away from their constitutional duties.

Chioma Kalu 

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