The Rivers State House of Assembly has accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of stalling the implementation of a Supreme Court ruling by blocking the re-presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Assembly spokesperson Enemi George challenged Fubara to provide proof of a letter he claimed to have sent regarding the budget presentation.
“Last week,” George said, “the governor stopped at the gate of the House of Assembly Quarters on his way to an event in Ogoni and granted an interview to the press. In that interview, he claimed to have sent a letter to the Assembly, notifying us of his plan to present the bill. This claim was astonishing to us because no such letter was received.”
Dismissing claims that the letter was sent via WhatsApp, George called the move “awkward, unprofessional, and embarrassing.” He accused the governor of using the situation to sway public opinion.
“The social media is now flooded with stories of this purported letter,” he said. “But nothing could be further from the truth. If such a letter was indeed sent, it seems its intended recipient was not the legislature but the public.”
George alleged that the governor ignored a written request from the Assembly to present the budget by March 15, 2025, a deadline crucial for unlocking federal funds. He further claimed that Assembly staff attempting to deliver the letter were assaulted.
He also accused Fubara of ordering ministries and agencies to cut ties with the Assembly.
“The governor has gone further,” George said, “to direct all ministries, agencies, and departments to cease all communication with the Rivers State House of Assembly. This is unacceptable. We are an independent arm of government, not an appendage of the executive.”
He added that lawmakers had endured immense hardship, including the destruction of the Assembly chamber and the Speaker’s residence.
“We have seen hell,” he lamented. “Our hallowed chamber was burnt down, our residential quarters were invaded, and our allowances have been withheld for over a year and a half. Yet, despite these injustices, we have chosen to put the interests of the state above our personal grievances.”
George warned that the governor’s actions were harming Rivers State residents, including pensioners, teachers, and public institutions relying on government funding.
“The governor is toying with the lives and livelihoods of Rivers people,” he said. “We must all call on him to do the right thing in the interest of our dear state and its people.”
