The Rivers State House of Assembly has denied recieving any letter from Governor Siminalayi Fubara in respect of the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill before the House.
Fubara had in letter dated Thursday, March 13, 2025, addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, indicated his interest to present the budget on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 or any other day within the month of March.
However, the lawmakers, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, during plenary the next day Friday adjourned sitting indefinitely.
But, addressing journalists on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the House Committee chairman on Information, Hon. Enemi Alabo George, accused Governor Fubara of frustrating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgement on the polical crisis in the State, particularly the directive requiring him to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the majority lawmakers.
George urged the public to pressure the governor to follow due process in presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill, rather than attempting to gain public sympathy by portraying lawmakers as the obstacles.
He challenged Fubara to produce an acknowledged copy of the letter he claimed to have sent to the House.
George said, “Last week, we were told that on his way to Ogoni for a programme, the governor made a stopover at the gate of the House of Assembly Quarters to grant an interview to the press.
“In that interview, he claimed that he had sent a letter to the House of Assembly indicating his intention to visit and present the Appropriation Bill, a claim we found rather astonishing as no such letter was received by the House of Assembly.
“His aides later alleged that they forwarded a letter through Whatsapp to some members of the House, which was also awkward, unprofessional and embarrassing.
“As I speak, the social media space is awash with stories about a purported letter from the governor to the House of Assembly expressing his intention to visit the House to present the Appropriation Bill for the year 2025.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth. We want to state categorically that there is no such letter before the House of Assembly nor any of its staff.
“We challenge the governor and his aides to produce an acknowledgement copy of such a letter or any evidence that such a letter was sent or received by the House of Assembly. It is absolutely untrue and unfortunate. The general public must, as a matter of importance, ignore such claim.
“It is now very obvious that if at all there was such a letter, the intended recipient was not the legislature, but the public, and the clear intention was to play to the gallery, whip up public sentiment, demonise the House of Assembly and set the public against us. This is demeaning, denigrating and perilously unfortunate.”
The Information Committee Chairman said the governor frustrated all the House’s efforts to work with him to resolve the lingering crisis immediately after the Supreme Court judgement, particularly on the aspect of presenting the Appropriation Bill in the interest of the state.
He stated, “Recall after the recent Supreme court judgment on the budget of our state, it became absolutely necessary for the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, to present the appropriation bill to the legislature for consideration and passage.
“Also recall that immediately after the judgment, this house wrote to the governor, calling on him to immediately present the budget for speedy consideration.
“It was our hope that by the 15th of March, 2025, we would have concluded the process of passing the appropriation bill into law, so as to give us enough time to approach the Federal Government to release funds meant for our state which have been seized by the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“This we did in the interest of our dear state and in pursuit of peace, recognising that no government can function optimally without a harmonious co-existence between the executive and the legislature.”
