Impeachment Saga: Rivers Lawmakers Got N350m Each for Constituency Projects – Fubara’s Aide

Darlington Orji, Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has accused members of the State House of Assembly of accepting N350 million each for constituency projects, despite their public concerns over “unappropriated” funds.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, January 16 monitored by Persecondnews, Orji addressed the ongoing friction between the executive and legislative branches regarding the state’s budget and spending.

He specifically pointed to a N100,000 year-end appreciation bonus paid to civil servants in December, which was also extended to the lawmakers.

While some assembly members reportedly rejected the gift for lacking appropriation, Orji dismissed the move as inconsistent, questioning why they allegedly accepted the much larger constituency project payments without similar pushback.

He said: “You know that your platform is a very respected one, and I will not come here to tell lies. I will not say what I’m not sure of now. Because the Governor did not agree with them on that, so they didn’t come up with a presentation.

“You know that in preparing budget, there are too many things that will be improved that will make up the appropriation bill. And when they say the interest was not captured, and the man (Fubara) said, don’t worry, by December.

“So the specific amount I do not know as it stands today, because that presentation was not made because His Excellency, the governor, refused to accept that. But don’t forget, in December, there was N100,000 that was given to civil servants as a way of appreciating them and end of the package, it was also given to the members of Rivers. Some people rejected the money.”

Orji also said:“They rejected it that it was not appropriated. You cannot build something of nothing now you rejected because N100,000 was not appropriated.

“Can you ask them, please, sir, the N350 million naira that was given to each of them for their constituency project, where did it come from? Why did they not reject it since it was not appropriated?”