Rivers crisis: Pro-Wike lawmakers suspend state consolidated revenue funds as 7-day order expires

3 months ago 47

Wike, Rivers

By Amaka Agbu

Following the expiration of the 7-day order issued to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to represent the 2024 budget to them, the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, have shut down the state’s consolidated revenue funds.

The 27 pro-Wike lawmakers led by factional Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, had last week ordered Governor Fubara to represent to them the N800 billion 2024 Appropriation which the governor had in December last year presented to the Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie 5-man Assembly members loyal to him and subsequently signed into law by the governor.

In this latest move, the Martin Amaewhule-led legislators ordered a shutdown of all the state accounts managed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s government pending when the budget was represented, resolving that the governor was no longer allowed to approve or authorise expenditure from the consolidated revenue fund of the state, nor were the ministries permitted to spend public funds until further notice.

Raising the motion to stop the said expenditures, factional Leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack, had informed the House about the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to represent the 2024 budget, which the governor had already signed into law, before the House.

The lawmakers issued the ultimatum at their first sitting, months after a High Court in the state sacked them and bounced back after an Appeal Court nullified the judgement of the State Court for lack of jurisdiction to hear the case in the first instance.

Recall that the pro-Fubara 5-man lawmakers passed the budget after the pro-Wike 27 out of a 32-member Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice James Omotosho in January 2024, however, nullified the signing into law of the budget and mandated Fubara to represent the budget to the lawfully constituted House of Assembly under Amaewhule. Justice Omotosho described the actions of the pro-Fubara lawmakers as null and void