Mum is the word the Rivers State Government in respect of the state’s 2025 budget. While almost all the states in the South South have presented their budgets to their respective Houses of Assembly, some of them have had theirs already approved by the House of Assembly and assented to by the governor.
By this time last year, the Rivers State budget was already signed into law by Governor Siminalayi Fubara having been approved by the Oko-Jumbo led state House of Assembly.
Recently, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Edison Ehie, had hinted that all was ready for the Gov. Fubara to present the budget to the state House of Assembly led by the speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo. Ehie gave the indication when he represented the governor at Bonny, during the inauguration of constituency projects executed by the speaker who represents Bonny State Constituency. Oko-Jumbo also confirmed that the budget would soon be presented to the state House of Assembly.
However, the recent judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where she reprimanded Gov. Fubara for presenting the state 2024 budget of N800 billion to only four of the 32- member House of Assembly, may be the reason why the governor is exercising caution and delaying the budget presentation while awaiting the verdict of the Appeal Court, Abuja which had reserved ruling on the several cases emanating from the political crisis in the state.
Read Also: Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu resigns from PDP amid leadership crisis
It would be recalled that following the defection of 27 members of the state House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the heat of the political crisis in the state, the remaining four legislators led by Edison Ehie as speaker invoked Section 109, sub-section (1) (g) of the 1999 constitution, declaring the seats of the 27 members vacant and requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-election to fill the seats vacated.
Consequently, Gov. Fubara latching on the action of the four- man House of Assembly laid the 2024 budget estimate before them which they expeditiously passed.
Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Information, Joseph Johnson for the state government’s reaction were unsuccessful.
