The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a seven-day deadline to re-submit the 2024 budget.
This ultimatum came after the Assembly’s first sitting in months on Monday. This development highlights the ongoing political crisis in the state, with a parallel House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo also holding sessions.
Governor Fubara initially presented the budget to a House loyal to him, with his Chief of Staff Edison Ehie acting as Speaker. This House passed the budget, and Fubara signed it into law, emphasizing its goals of economic development, inclusive growth, and reducing socio-economic inequality.
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However, the Assembly’s latest demand adds to the ongoing turmoil. The Amaewhule-led Assembly resumed following a Court of Appeal ruling last week that overturned a lower court’s decision to expel Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers. The Rivers State High Court had issued an ex parte order in May barring these lawmakers from serving, following a motion by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The appellate court, however, ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to issue such an order. “The Federal High Court has the exclusive jurisdiction to determine if the seats have become vacant,” the court stated, referencing Section 272(3) of the Constitution. This ruling rendered the ex parte order null and void.
Despite this, Victor Oko-Jumbo, speaking during a plenary on Friday, expressed his group’s disagreement with the appellate court’s decision. “We strongly believe that the Court of Appeal was in error when it held that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine SUIT NO PHC/1512/CS/2024,” he said. Oko-Jumbo revealed that they have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment.