The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a 7-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget to the House. This development comes after the House’s first sitting on Monday, following a period of crisis that has seen parallel sittings by two factions of the Assembly.
Fubara had earlier presented the budget to the other House faction loyal to him, which was presided over by his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, as Speaker. The budget was passed and signed into law, aiming to promote economic development and address socio-economic inequality in the state.
The crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly has been ongoing, with the Amaewhule-led faction recently receiving a boost from a Court of Appeal judgement nullifying their expulsion from the Assembly. However, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction has appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging the Appeal Court’s decision.
The situation remains unresolved, with both factions holding parallel sittings and the state’s budget caught in the middle.
