In a significant development, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has officially signed the Rivers State 2024 Appropriation Bill, amounting to N800 billion, into law. The signing took place at the Government House, Port Harcourt, following Fubara’s presentation of the budget proposal on December 13 to the four-member House of Assembly led by Speaker Edison Ehie.
Notably, the budget presentation unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tensions surrounding the Assembly. The complex, previously demolished by the state government, adhered to a State High Court order restraining Edison Ehie’s contender, Martins Amaewhule, from using the facility.
Governor Fubara emphasized that the budget aims to foster economic development, inclusive growth, and address socio-economic inequalities within the state. However, this move comes amidst a political rift, as Ehie and Amaewhule engage in a speakership tussle currently in court.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ehie-led group declared vacant the seats of 27 members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The budget presentation, attended by loyalists of Speaker Ehie, witnessed the absence of recently converted APC members.
The demolition of the Assembly Complex, marked by a convoy of bulldozers led by Governor Fubara, occurred about two months after a fire incident. The Rivers State Government defended the demolition, citing consultants’ advice that the building was no longer habitable.
As the political landscape in Rivers State remains dynamic, the signing of the budget adds another layer of significance to the ongoing power struggle within the State House of Assembly.