Categories: News

Fubara Presents 2025 Budget To Four-Member Rivers Assembly

The governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has presented the 2025 budget proposal to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Rivers House of Assembly.

Fubara presented the N1.1 trillion appropriation bill to the House on Monday.

The four members, led by the Speaker, Oko-Jumbo, had earlier read Governor Fubara’s letter requesting permission to present the appropriation bill on Monday at their plenary.

This marks Fubara’s second budget presentation since assuming office.

Fubara had presented the 2024 state appropriation bill of N800 billion in 2023 to a four-man House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Edison Ehie.

The presentation occurred while Rivers citizens and residents grappled with the news of the sudden demolition of parts of the state House of Assembly complex.

This followed the defection of 27 Assembly members, including then-Speaker Martin Amaewhule, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Amid legal battles and political intervention, including input from President Bola Tinubu, Ehie eventually resigned from the Assembly and was subsequently appointed the Chief of Staff to the Government House.

The crisis deepened as the three remaining members of the House after Ehie’s exit maintained their legitimacy, citing Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which they argued is self-executing in cases of defection without a crisis in the parent party.

The trio, consisting of Oko-Jumbo (Bonny Constituency as, Speaker), Adolphus Timothy (Opobo/Nkoro Constituency as Deputy Speaker), and Sokari Goodboy (Ahoada West as Leader of the House), assumed the Assembly’s leadership.

They have consistently carried out legislative functions, often in alignment with the Fubara-led administration.

Meanwhile, the 27 defected members have since reversed their decision and continue to attend functions as PDP members and hold sessions under Martin Amaewhule’s leadership, frequently opposing the government’s policies.

As part of the twist in Rivers State’s ongoing political and legislative crisis, both the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court nullified the N800 billion 2024 Appropriation Bill of the state, halting its implementation.

Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.