The Action Peoples Party (APP) has criticised the 27 lawmakers led by Hon Martin Amaewhule over their “baseless and unenforceable” directives to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to stop spending funds from the consolidated revenue of the state.
The party described the resolution as a foolish joke taken too far by a group of impostors struggling for political bread and butter.
In the same vein, the Peoples Congress (PC) dismissed the resolution of the Amaewhule-led lawmakers on Fubara’s expenditures, saying they lack the locus standi to make such demands from a democratically elected governor.
President of the pro-democracy group, Dr Nicholas Udenta, said the actions of the lawmakers are mere political grandstanding, lacking legal basis and legitimacy.
APP, in a statement signed by its deputy national publicity secretary Emeka Uwazurike and made available to newsmen in Abuja, dismissed the resolution as another instance of legislative rascality by ex-lawmakers whose seats have long been declared vacant by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The party emphasized that the N800 billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which the sacked lawmakers had ordered the governor to re-present, was duly passed by the then constitutionally recognized Edison Ehie-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
According to them, re-presenting the budget, which is already an act of the state assembly, would amount to a gross constitutional breach and disservice to the good people of Rivers State.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, formerly led by the sacked Martin Amaewhule, on Monday asked Governor Fubara to stop spending funds from the state consolidated funds after the governor had ignored their seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget to the sacked lawmakers.
But the APP, in a reaction in Abuja, asked Governor Fubara to ignore the order, insisting that the governor does not need to take orders from a group of former lawmakers whose sack order is still valid.
APP said, “As far as the order sacking the Martin Amaewhule-led group of former lawmakers has not been vacated, the 27, including their speaker Martin Amaewhule, remain sacked and the governor has no business with such a group.
“They deserve to be ignored; otherwise, it means that one day a group not recognized by law can wake up and ask the governor not to operate from the government house because he did not attend their new yam festival.”
The party described the resolution as another calculated attempt to distract the governor from the good work he is doing for the oil-rich state.
“We want to urge the governor to go ahead with the good work he is doing in the state unhindered. APP, as an opposition party, will continue to fight injustice, and this is one injustice we will not condone.”
Corroborating, The Peoples Congress (PC) described the resolution of Amaewhule-led lawmakers as an “illegal joke,” stressing that Governor Fubara had in December 2023, signed the budget of N800 billion into law after presenting it before lawmakers led by the former speaker, Edison Ehie.
He emphasised that the purported resolution by Amaewhule and his colleagues is a “distractive joke” that should be disregarded.
He also noted that the only recognised Rivers Assembly, according to law and the people of Rivers State, is the one led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
“We are deeply disappointed at the resolution of Martin Amaewhule and his co-travellers, which purportedly suspends all expenditures of Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara until he re-presents his budget before the House,” the statement said.
“First and foremost, Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues have lost their membership of the Rivers Assembly, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th day of December 2023, as declared by the then speaker, Edison Ehie, on 13th December 2023.
“Therefore, Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues lack the locus standi to make such demands from a democratically elected governor. Their resolution is simply an illegal joke taken too far. We urge the Governor to completely ignore their distracting actions.
“Secondly, the 2024 Rivers State budget was signed into law in December 2023, after being presented and approved by lawmakers led by the former speaker, Edison Ehie. Most of the projects captured in the budget are either completed or nearing completion.
“Nowhere in the world is a budget presented twice, nor is there any state in Nigeria where a budget is presented to two Houses of Assembly. Most importantly, there’s only one House of Assembly in Rivers State, which is led by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
“That’s the only one recognised by law and the people of Rivers State. The Martin Amaewhule-led faction passing anti-people resolutions doesn’t represent the interests of Rivers people but that of their paymasters.
“Their latest resolution is nothing but a comical display of illegality. They are committing political suicide by continuously seeking to sabotage the developmental efforts of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Rivers people are watching.
“We urge Governor Fubara to remain focused on his duties and not be swayed by this illegitimate group’s threats. Similarly, we advise the current speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, to ignore their distractions and continue to discharge his responsibilities with integrity.
“It is essential to recognise that the Amaewhule-led group’s actions are mere political grandstanding, lacking legal basis and legitimacy. We assure the good people of Rivers State that the authentic lawmakers are committed to serving their interests and ensuring the state’s progress.
“We warn the former lawmakers to desist from their illegal actions, as they are no longer recognised as members of the Rivers State Assembly. Their attempts to disrupt the state’s governance will not be tolerated.”
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