
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday signed the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N800bn into law.
The bill was passed as breakneck speed as the signing of the bill comes a day after he presented the budget estimates to the State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie.
The signing ceremony was held on Thursday in the conference room of the Governor’s Office at the Government House.
The ceremony had the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; some members of the State Executive Council; present and former lawmakers who support Governor Fubara, and some chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Local Government Areas.
The governor in his address said the estimated N800bn, tagged, ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’ will be well implemented to provide critical infrastructure like the second phase of the landmark Trans-Kalabari road and meet the socio-economic needs of the people.
Recall that the Rivers State House of Assembly declared the seats of the 27 members who on Monday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress vacant.
The lawmakers who recognise Martins Amaewhule as Speaker were not present at the sitting where their seats were declared vacant. They also didn’t participate in the 24-hour budget passage.
The five-member Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, loyal to the state governor, on Wednesday, said the decision to declare the seats vacant was in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The Speaker, who read the names of the lawmakers affected, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections within the time frame provided by law.to fill the positions.
“Distinguished colleagues, the House will duly inform the Independent National Electoral Commission of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and indeed, to conduct a fresh election to fill the above vacancies,” he announced.
Recall also that the Peoples Democratic Party had written the Independent National Electoral Commission demanding fresh elections to replace the 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress on Monday.
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