Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has declared his readiness to re-present the 2025 budget to the State House of Assembly whenever lawmakers are prepared, amid ongoing tensions between the executive and legislative arms of the state government.
Speaking to journalists at the gate of the Assembly Complex on Wednesday, Governor Fubara expressed frustration at being locked out of the premises despite having informed Speaker Martins Amaewhule of his scheduled visit. “I had already informed the Speaker about my visit. I came to re-present the budget as directed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025. I still believe, maybe, they might be instructed later. If they are, I’m still ready to come any day to get this issue sorted out,” he stated.
Accompanied by top government officials including Secretary to the State Government Dr. Tammy Danagogo and his Chief of Staff, Dr. Edison Ehie, the governor accused Speaker Amaewhule of deliberately avoiding him, alleging that several calls were ignored.
However, Hon. Enemi George, Chairman of the House Committee on Publicity, dismissed the governor’s claims. “I have been in the Assembly for the third term now. I know there is a procedure for an event as big as a budget presentation. You don’t send a message to the Speaker on WhatsApp and think you have communicated with the House,” he said in a telephone interview with Vanguard. He explained that following the destruction of the main Assembly Complex on Moscow Road in 2023, lawmakers have relocated to the Assembly Quarters, where the gate of the old complex remains locked due to residents living there.
Hon. George stressed that a budget presentation is a significant event that must follow institutional procedures and be properly documented through formal communication. “It is not just about the Speaker; it is about the entire House,” he added.
This standoff adds to the prolonged political tensions between the Rivers Assembly and the governor’s administration as both sides continue to navigate their differences over the budget process.
