Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed his readiness to re-present the 2025 budget to the State House of Assembly whenever the lawmakers are prepared. This comes after he was reportedly locked out of the Assembly Complex on Wednesday, despite prior notification to Speaker Martins Amaewhule.
Addressing journalists at the gate of the Assembly Complex, Governor Fubara expressed his disappointment over the incident, stating that he had followed due process. “I had already informed the Speaker about my visit. I came to re-present the budget as directed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025. I still believe, maybe, they might be instructed later. If they are, I’m still ready to come any day to get this issue sorted out,” Fubara said.
The governor, who arrived at the complex with top government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, and his Chief of Staff, Dr. Edison Ehie, alleged that Speaker Amaewhule deliberately avoided him. He also claimed that multiple calls placed to the Speaker were ignored, raising further concerns about the ongoing political rift between the executive and legislative arms of the state.
However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Publicity, Hon. Enemi George, dismissed the governor’s claims, arguing that the lawmakers were not officially informed about the budget re-presentation. “I have been in the Assembly for the third term now. I know there is a procedure for an event as big as a budget presentation. You don’t send a message to the Speaker on WhatsApp and think you have communicated with the House,” George told *Vanguard* in a telephone interview.
George further explained that the main Assembly Complex on Moscow Road had been destroyed in 2023, prompting the lawmakers to relocate their sittings to the Assembly Quarters. “The gate of the old complex is always locked because people are living there. The Governor was on his way to Ogoni to commission a project and decided to stop over at the Assembly. It is not true that he was locked out. This is very embarrassing,” he said.
The lawmaker also emphasized that budget re-presentation must follow due legislative process. “Budget presentation is a significant event where the Speaker and the Clerk must be properly robed. A formal letter must be documented through the Legislative Institution. It is not just about the Speaker; it is about the entire House,” he explained.
