Pro-Wike lawmakers give Gov Fubara 7 days to re-present budget

…As Court bars Rivers CJ, Clerk from dealing with Amaewhule-led Assembly

The Rivers State House of Assembly faction, loyal to former governor, Nyesom Wike, has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the 2024 budget of the state.

The Speaker of the faction, Martins Amaewhule, gave the ultimatum during a sitting of the members in Port Harcourt on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fubara had presented the 2024 budget when his current Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie emerged as the speaker.

Fubara 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.

A Rivers State High Court had held that 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 judgment last week, the Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s decision and declared Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the house.

The appeal court held that the Rivers State High Court had no jurisdiction to hear matters relating to the decampment of lawmakers.

Meanwhile, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an Ex-parte Order of Interim Injunction barring the Chief Judge of the State and the Clerk of the State House of Assembly from dealing with the Martins Amaewhule’s led State Assembly.

The order issued by Justice Jumbo Stephen also prevented the duo from dealing with Amaewhule and 26 others as members of the Assembly, and from acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or communications from them.

The suit marked PHC/2177/CS/2024 was filed by the Attorney General of the State as the first plaintiff and the Governor of the State, Siminialayi Fubara, as the second plaintiff, against Martin Amaewhule and 26 others, as the first set of defendants, and Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, and others, CJ of the State and Clerk of the State House of Assembly and People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as second sets of defendants.

The court also ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante litem as of July 5, 2024, until the motion for an interlocutory injunction is heard and determined.

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That an Order of Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the 31″ and 32nd Defendants from dealing or howsoever relating with the 1st-27th Defendants as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and from receiving, forwarding or howsoever acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment or other Defendants pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.

“That the parties to this suit are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante litem in this suit as of 5th July 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.

“An Order is hereby made for substituted service of the originating and other processes in this suit on the 1st-30th Defendants by pasting the same at Quarters, opposite former NDDC headquarters, off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”

The court, however, adjourned till 15th of July 2024 for the motion on notice for Interlocutory injunction.