Rivers Assembly Accuses Fubara Of Playing To The Gallery

Governor Siminalayi Fubara is accused of deliberately stalling the implementation of a Supreme Court decision in a tense and developing political drama.

The governor is allegedly obstructing the 2025 Appropriation Bill’s re-presentation process, which the Assembly claimed is a crucial step under the court’s order.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Enemi George, the Assembly’s spokesperson, and the chairman of the House Committee on Information, made the accusations.

George urged the public to hold the governor accountable for presenting the budget without trying to influence public opinion by labeling the lawmakers as obstructive.

The lawmaker requested the governor provide evidence of a letter the governor claimed to have written to the Assembly informing him of his intention to introduce the appropriation bill.

On his way to an event in Ogoni, the governor stopped at the gate of the House of Assembly Quarters last week, according to George, and gave an interview to the press. He claimed in that interview that he had informed the Assembly of his intention to introduce the bill. Because no such letter had been received, we found this assertion to be astonishing.

He further refuted the governor’s aides’ claim that some lawmakers had been given the letter via WhatsApp, calling the action “awkward, unprofessional, and embarrassing.” George argued that there was no record of such a letter and demanded that the governor provide any evidence of delivery.

Nothing could possibly be further from the truth, George continued, noting that “the social media is now flooded with stories about this purported letter.” No such letter is found in the Assembly’s records or among its employees, as we categorically state. It seems that the intended recipient of a letter like this was not the legislature but the general public, if one were to be sent it. The governor’s purported goals are to demonize the Assembly, win over the audience, and win over the Assembly. This is insulting, repugnant, and dangerously unfortunate.

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He also accused the governor of thwarting the Assembly’s efforts to end the Supreme Court’s decision, which had been overturned. He recalls that the governor had been urged to submit the appropriation bill for consideration by the Assembly within a day of the ruling. The lawmakers had hoped to have the process finished by March 15, 2025, so that the state’s federal funds, which had been frozen as a result of the court’s ruling, could be released as soon as possible.

George claims that the governor disregarded their demands. He described how Assembly employees allegedly assaulted and turned away when they attempted to deliver the letter to the Government House. The governor continued to ignore the lawmakers’ requests for a courier service when they resorted to using one.

George also emphasized the governor’s actions’ wider implications, noting that several state commissioner appointments had been ruled invalid by the Supreme Court. The governor had requested a new list of nominees for screening in response to this request. The governor allegedly instructed his officials to file legal action against the Assembly in place of the letter, which was also reportedly rejected at the Government House.

The governor instructed all ministries, agencies, and departments to stop communicating with the Rivers State House of Assembly, according to George, “going further.” This is unacceptable. We are not an executive branch, but rather a branch of the government. Our members are not soldiers, bondholders, or slaves. The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution enshrined the principle of horizontal separation of powers.

The lawmakers’ enormous hardships were portrayed in the grim grim grime of the Assembly, as George portrayed them throughout the crisis. He claimed that the governor was in charge of the Assembly’s destruction of the Assembly Complex and the Speaker’s residence as well as the destruction of their personal belongings.

George lamented, “We have seen hell.” Our homes were invaded, our hallowed chamber burned down, and our benefits have been refunded for more than a year and a half. Despite these injustices, we have chosen to prioritize the needs of the state over our individual grievances. Because of ego or personal interests, we can’t punish Rivers State residents.

George expressed concern about the governor’s actions putting people’s livelihoods at risk. He made a note of the plight of pensioners who are owed money, teachers who rely on salaries to educate children, and public hospitals and schools who rely on government funding.

Source: Channels TV