The People’s Congress (PC), a pro democracy group in Rivers State, has dismissed the resolution of the Martin Amaewhule Led Rivers Assembly purportedly suspending all expenditures of Governor Siminalayi Fubara until he re-presents his budget before the House. The pro-democracy group, in a statement signed yesterday by its president, Dr Nicholas Udenta, said that their actions were mere political grandstanding, lacking legal basis and legitimacy....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
Udenta said according to the law, they are no longer members of the Rivers State Assembly, having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described the resolution as an illegal joke, stressing: “We are deeply disappointed at the resolution of Martin Amaewhule and his co-travellers, which purportedly suspends all expenditures of Governor Fubara until he re-presents his budget before the House. ”
Amaewhule and his colleagues have lost their membership of the Rivers Assembly, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th day of December 2023, as declared by the then Speaker, Edison Ehie, on 13th December 2023.
“Therefore, Amaewhule and his colleagues lack the locus standi to make such demands from a democratically elected governor. Their resolution is simply an illegal joke taken too far. We urge the governor to completely ignore their distracting actions.
“Secondly, the 2024 Rivers State budget was signed into law in December 2023, after being presented and approved by lawmakers led by the former Speaker, Edison Ehie. Most of the projects captured in the budget are either completed or nearing completion.
“Nowhere in the world is a budget presented twice, nor is there any state in Nigeria where a budget is presented to two Houses of Assembly. Most importantly, there’s only one House of Assembly in Rivers State, which is led by Hon Victor Oko Jumbo.”…READ FULL ARTICLE
