Pro-Wike Lawmakers Demand 2024 Budget Presentation

Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, yesterday unanimously agreed to write Governor Siminalayi Fubara, over the delay in the presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

They also resolved to write Fubara over the delay in the presentation of the state‘s Medium Term Expenditure Framework in line with the 1999 Constitution as amended.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had during his intervention on the face-off between Wike and the governor, directed Fubara to present the 2024 budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led House.

The governor had on December 13, 2023, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N800 billion to the Hon. Edison Ehie-led lawmakers, who are loyal to him.

The budget was passed that same day and was assented to by Fubara on December 14, 2023.

Speaker of the House, Amaewhule, had while speaking on the Order of the Day, cited relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, that empowered the State House of Assembly to receive report of the audited account of the state.

He therefore urged the House Committee on Public Accounts to investigate why the Auditor-General of the state has not submitted the 2022 audited account of the state to the House.

Responding, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Major Jack, requested the House to give the committee more time to enable it to do further inquiry and consultation before submitting its report.

During yesterday‘s sitting, the Pro-Wike lawmakers, gave first reading to a bill which seeks to amend the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No. 4 of 2015.

Presenting the bill, majority leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack, averred that the bill seeks to amend some sections of the Principal Law, and when passed, will make the traditional rulers law be in tune with current realities.

In the same vein, the House gave first reading to a bill which seeks to repeal the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law No.7 of 2022.