Rivers crisis: Pro-Wike lawmakers reject passage of 2024 budget

Lawmakers loyal to former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, have rejected the passage of the State’s 2024 budget by the four members of the State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie.

It was gathered  that the four-man House of Assembly last week approved the N800 billion 2024 budget barely 24 hours after it was presented by Governor Similanayi Fubara.

However, while speaking at the dedication service and stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Martins Amaehwule who is leading the pro-Wike lawmakers accused Fubara of supervising the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex without notification.

“As we speak, the governor has gone to demolish the state House of Assembly, an edifice built with taxpayer money. He personally supervised the demolition, not minding that documents and archives belonging to members and staff of the Assembly were inside.

“The governor’s action is against the law. We hear that some four persons gathered and are meeting somewhere. We don’t know what they are doing. Rivers people should know today that the House of Assembly of any state is defined by the Constitution; to reconvene the House, you need to have a quorum, and the quorum is 11.

“We are 27, and they are just four. They are just doing a family meeting. Anything they told you they had done, ignore them; it’s null and void. The law is clear about it,” he stated.