The Coalition for National Vanguard for Rule of Law (NVRL) has dismissed the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly’s resolution to halt state expenditures as illegal. Mr. Johnson Babatunde, the leader of the coalition, made this statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Pathway News reports that the Amaewhule-led assembly suspended all expenditures by Governor Siminalayi Fubara until he presents his budget to the house. This decision follows a seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to submit his budget.
Major Jack, the Leader of the House, raised a motion informing the House about the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum for the governor to present the 2024 budget.
Reacting to this, Babatunde stated that such an attempt is against the spirit of the law, highlighting that Amaewhule and 24 others had defected from the PDP to the APC in violation of the law. “For the record, Fubara signed the budget of N800 billion into law in December 2023 after presenting it before lawmakers led by the former speaker, Mr. Edison Ehie, who passed it into law,” Babatunde noted.
He warned that any attempt to secure an injunction denying Fubara access to the state’s consolidated revenue fund would be detrimental. Babatunde also cautioned against efforts to deny ministries, departments, and agencies in Rivers State access to their accounts for implementing the 2024 budget.
He emphasized that Fubara should be allowed to implement the 2024 budget, which has earned the governor accolades across the state and beyond. On December 14, 2023, Fubara signed the state’s N800 billion 2024 budget into law, just 24 hours after it was presented to a four-member house of assembly for approval. Speaking on this, Fubara mentioned that the budget would provide a framework for his administration to undertake significant road projects connecting communities across the state.
