Opposition Lawmakers Ask Federal Gov’t To Stop Rivers Allocation

The Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, has shut down expenditure from the state’s consolidated revenue fund.

The declaration, LEADERSHIP gathered followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum handed down to the governor to represent the 2024 budget before the House.

The House disclosed this yesterday in a letter dated July 15, 2024, which was signed by Amaewhule and addressed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The state deputy governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, the secretary to the state government, the Accountant-General of Rivers State, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were copied in the letter.

Others are the Auditor-General of Rivers State, the Chairman of Revenue, Allocation, Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMFARC), the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the managing directors of Zenith Bank and Access Bank.

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The leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack, had during plenary yesterday drawn the House‘s attention to the fact that, given the combined provisions of Sections 121 and 122 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, Fubara has continued to violate the Constitution by spending from the state’s consolidated revenue fund without an Appropriation Law.

Debating Jack’s statement, members condemned the governor’s disregard for the Constitution in unison and in strong terms, despite repeated reminders of the consequences of his actions. Thus, they expressed their support for the shutdown of expenditures from the state’s consolidated revenue fund forthwith.

Commenting on the House Leader’s statement, the Speaker, Amaewhule, stated that it was unfortunate that Fubara now sees violation of the provisions of the Constitution and court judgements as a way of governance.

He further stated that as representatives of the people, the House would not look the other way while the governor consistently trampled on the constitution he swore to uphold.