The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has signed the N1.88 trillion 2025 budget into law. The governor at the signing ceremony in the Government House Port Harcourt on Tuesday said the only authentic House of Assembly in the state is the one led by Oko-Jumbo.
He maintained that budgets are usually presented to legal legislative members and not mere groups. He assured that the 2025 Appropriation Bill will usher in a new dawn, bringing transformation and growth.
MEANWHILE, the Tony Okocha-led All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has described the 2025 budget presentation by Governor Siminalayi Fubara as “illegal”.
Okocha warned that the governor’s action was unfolding “tragedy’ in the state, citing concerns over the constitutionality of the process. Okocha spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday querying the rationale behind presenting a budget to three members of the State Assembly out of 30 members. He insisted that the assembly session where the budget was presented was a “forum” and not a legitimate legislative body.
Okocha criticised the governor, stating that as a man who has risen through the ranks of public service, Fubara must be aware of how budgets are properly presented and that the process should not involve what he referred to as “illegal members” of the House of Assembly.
Okocha claimed that no court has declared the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant, saying until such a declaration is made, decisions on issues like budget presentation cannot stand. He reiterated that the budget presentation was illegal, warning that it undermines the authority of the state’s institutions.
ALSO, Fubara has vowed to frustrate anyone, group of persons attempting to stop governance in Rivers State. The governor expressed confidence that with the strong organic support of former governors, Dr. Peter Odili and Celestine Omehia, other top politicians and the masses, no detractor would stand in the way of the state government in achieving the giant strides it has set for itself.
Fubara gave the assurance while addressing Rivers people at a 2025 New Year State Banquet in the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday night. He also assured that with the strong support of the pillars and frontiers of the political class and leaders, particularly those who built the foundational structures of Rivers politics, his administration would not allow any detractor or shenanigan to take the state and its people for a ride to going forward.
The governor said: “This year, we will ensure we protect the integrity of this state at all costs. We won’t allow anybody to take this state for a ride. It doesn’t matter the approach I will use. It’s not going to be a fight. We will follow the issues as we did with the case when they (detractors) started begging. Nothing will stop us from not achieving the purpose of governance in this state.”
“We are not bothered about what they (opposition) will come with. God will always have a way to save us from them. They are going to come, but we are not worried. We are equal to the task. I honestly thank our leaders, from Dr. Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia, John Azuta Mbata, Austin Opara, Prince Uche Secondus, Dr. Abiye Sekibo and others, for the organic support you are giving to our government.”
