WHY FUBARA NEEDS TO “PROPERLY PRESENT” THE ASSEMBLY WITH THE 2024 RIVERS STATE BUDGET – APC

Babatunji Wusu –

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed Governor Siminalayi Fubara to submit the state’s 2024 budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly, which is led by Martins Amaewhule, in accordance with a Federal High Court’s ruling in Abuja.

Tony Okocha, the state’s APC caretaker committee chairman, made the call while chatting with reporters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He said that Fubara’s budget presentation to the Edison Ehie-led Assembly did not satisfy the statutory requirement of a quorum in the House, which is around 1/3 (10 members). Thus, it’s equivalent to applying something on top of nothing.

In order to demonstrate his adherence to a court decision and respect for the rule of law, he continued, the governor should represent the budget.

In opposition to the court ruling on Monday that declared the N800 billion budget approved by the Ehie-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by Fubara, Okocha made this statement.

In the best interests of the people, he urged the governor to represent the budget.

Okocha said: “The budget was presented in error. There is no way 4 Assembly Members will be sitting as an Assembly when the law stipulated one-third, which is about 10 members. So it means that the Assembly never met, and for the Governor to take such a risk amounts to putting something on nothing.

“So the decision of the Federal High Court, which also stopped the Governor from interfering with the affairs of the Rivers State House of Assembly, is in order and is welcomed by us.”