Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State says he will soon present the 2025 appropriation bill to the state house of assembly.
This comes in the wake of the seven-day ultimatum by members of the Assembly faction loyal to the former governor and now minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The 27 lawmakers through their speaker, Martins Amaewhule, during plenary on Monday asked Governor Fubara to re-present the state’s 2024 budget within seven days.
Fubara presented the 2024 budget when his current Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, emerged as the speaker.
The governor had also signed the budget into law after its passage by the then-Ehie-led assembly.
Meanwhile, the Amaewhule-led faction only resumed sitting on Monday after several months of legislative inactivity.
The Rivers State High Court had held that Mr Amaewhule and 24 other pro-Wike lawmakers had lost their seats after decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
In its judgement last week, the Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s decision and declared Mr Amaewhule the authentic speaker of the House.
Speaking on Wednesday Fubara said he had moved on with the 2024 budget and now preparing that of 2025.
He said: “We all know how they crossed (join APC). And how did they cross? Because of our god. For them to make that mistake — they are gone, and they are gone. When I wanted to help them — I accepted to help them because we are all one. We disagree to agree. They thought they were smart.
“What is holding them back is the declaration of their seat vacant, which was done in December 2023. For me, I have started preparing my budget for 2025, which I am going to present very soon. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you. They can come to the media and dance. When they go behind, they cry. It is the truth.”
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