Rivers Assembly Reacts as Fubara Accuses Lawmakers of Blocking Him From Presenting 2025 Budget

• Rivers state lawmakers have rejected Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s claims about being blocked from entering the Assembly, saying that they never received any official communication about his visit
• Chairman of the house committee on information, Enemi Alabo George, described the claims as a mere comedy scripted to paint the assembly in a bad light
• George recalled that on Monday, March 3, the assembly wrote to Fubara requesting him to present the budget, following the judgment of the Supreme Court

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.

Port Harcourt, Rivers state - The Rivers State House of Assembly has faulted claims by Governor Siminalayi Fubara that he was blocked from entering the chamber to re-present the state 2025 appropriation bill.

As reported by The Punch on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the House said it never received any official communication from the governor indicating his interest in bringing the budget to the floor of the House.

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Fubara speaks after being denied entry into Rivers assembly quarters

The Nation also noted the Rivers Assembly's stance.

The lawmakers, therefore, accused Governor Fubara of unnecessarily whipping up sentiments.

Enemi George, the spokesperson for the house and chairman of the house committee on information, who stated this, added that the claims of Governor Fubara were a mere comedy skit scripted to paint the House in bad light.

Legit.ng recalls that Fubara had accused lawmakers of denying him access to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill at the Assembly quarters, despite allegedly officially notifying the House leadership of his readiness to do so.

Fubara made the disclosure during the inauguration of the Bori Zonal Hospital in Khana local government area (LGA).

The governor lamented that, in line with the Supreme Court judgment, all stakeholders should prioritise safeguarding the state’s economy and ensuring that civil servants do not suffer unnecessary hardship.

But reacting, George faulted Governor Fubara's claims.

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He said:

“We were the ones, who immediately after that judgment appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we had the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm.

“Despite withholding our entitlements for over a year and demolishing our chambers, we still wanted him to hasten up the presentation in the interest of the progress of Rivers."

Furthermore, the house said it indicated its intentions in the letter and even gave Fubara a timeframe due to the urgency of the matter.

The spokesperson for the house added:

"To regularise his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and some boards’ membership for screening and confirmation."

Legit.ng reports that Rivers state has been enmeshed in prolonged political crises after Governor Fubara fell out with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the federal capital territory (FCT) minister.

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Wike speaks amid standoff between Fubara, Rivers lawmakers, details emerge

The crisis split the state legislature into two factions. 27 lawmakers remained loyal to Wike, while a three-member faction remained loyal to Fubara.

Fubara speaks after standoff with Rivers lawmakers

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Fubara stated that, despite being denied access to the House of Assembly quarters, he remained committed to building a better state where the interests of the people are considered paramount.

Sharing an update about his political activities on Wednesday, March 12, the Rivers state No.1 citizen disclosed that he commissioned the Bori Zonal Hospital.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng