The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has again thrown his weight behind the Rivers Assembly in its tussle with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Fubara and the House led by Martin-Amaewhule have made claims and counter-claims over the presentation of the state’s 2025 budget. Their impasse followed a Supreme Court verdict, recognising the lawmakers as legitimate members of the Rivers State Assembly.
That move led the House to ask Fubara to re-present the state’s 2025 budget which he had presented to the sect of lawmakers led by Victor Oko-Jumbo. Amid the dispute between the legislature and the governor who accused the lawmakers of frustrating his attempts to re-present the budget, Wike has backed the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Let me tell you, I’m not going to stop the Assembly from performing their constitutional duties. The Assembly should be allowed to perform their constitutional role,” Wike said on Saturday during a Thanksgiving Service held in Abalama, Asari-Toru Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
“The Assembly people should do their work. Whatever they deem necessary and fit, that is constitutional, they should do. I’m not going to stop anybody from carrying out their functions. I will not do that,” the minister said.
The immediate past governor of the state accused Fubara of seizing allowances and other benefits accrued to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Wike claimed Fubara was deceived into recognising a group of lawmakers and was wrong assured that “Nothing would happen”.
“You went, and they told you to seize Assembly members’ salaries, and allowances for more than one year. These people have no income to pay their children’s school fees and feed their families, and you were jubilating. You were jubilating and people were encouraging you that nothing would happen. But something has happened,” the FCT minister who is also a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) told the jubilant crowd.
“They will lead you to hellfire,” the minister warned Governor Fubara.
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