The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday reacted to the claim by Gov. Siminalayi Fubara that he was blocked from gaining access into the assembly to represent the state’s 2025 budget estimate, saying it is media stunt to discredit the House.
In a statement, the lawmakers accused the governor of breaching legislative procedures in writing to them for budget presentation.
They said the procedure requires the governor to wait for an official acknowledgment of his letter before appearing before the Assembly.
Persecondnews reported that Fubara was on Wednesday locked out of the assembly when he and his entourage drove to the gate to re-present the 2025 budget.
He accused the Speaker of deliberately avoiding him and declining his several calls.
“It is procedurally trite that after writing to the Assembly, the governor ought to wait for the letter to be acknowledged by the lawmakers, who will then invite him to appear before them and make his presentation.
“Governor Fubara ought to know this if he is sincere. The claim is a comedy skit aimed at painting the Assembly in a bad light,” the spokesman of the House and Chairman of the Committee on Information, Mr. Enemi Alabo George, said.
George recalled that the Assembly had formally requested the governor to present his budget following the Supreme Court’s judgment on March 3.
“We were the ones who, immediately after that judgment, appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill.
“We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm,” George said.
According to the lawmakers, despite withholding their entitlements for over a year and demolishing their chambers, the House still urged Fubara to hasten the budget presentation for the progress of the state.
“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter.
“To regularize his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and board members for screening and confirmation,” George stated.
He alleged that the governor ignored their pleas and refused to accept official Assembly communications.
“We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him, but as usual, they were turned back at the gate and even brutalized.
“We resorted to using a courier service, yet he still ignored our call,” George stated.
George further questioned the governor’s sincerity, pointing out inconsistencies in his claim of being blocked from the Assembly complex.
“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget?
“This is the height of insincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year, and without the budget, we can’t get our entitlements,” he said.
Describing the event as a political ploy, George accused Fubara of orchestrating a media stunt to discredit the Assembly.
“The governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with the singular motive of tarnishing the image of the Assembly.
“He is playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments, but it has backfired because the truth has come out,” he added.
The Assembly also refuted Fubara’s claim that he sent a letter to the Speaker requesting to present the budget, saying the lawmakers only saw the letter circulating on social media after Wednesday’s proceedings.
“But even the letter trending on social media was dated March 11.
“Does it mean that the governor purportedly sent a letter on Tuesday, God knows when, and immediately mobilized to the Assembly quarters on Wednesday morning claiming he came to present his budget?” George queried.
The Assembly reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and urged Fubara to act in the best interest of Rivers people.
“This Assembly will continue to uphold the rule of law and will remain committed to promoting the interest of Rivers State.
“We urge him to do the needful so that Rivers people can breathe. He is toying with the lives and livelihood of Rivers people,” George also said.
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