Wike’s camp protests as Fubara presents budget to three-man Assembly

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Monday, presented N1.18tn budgetary estimate for 2025 to the factional state House of Assembly comprising three lawmakers.

The development was a repeat of last year’s action by Fubara, who shunned the 27-member factional Assembly loyal to his predecessor and estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike.

In an interview with The Punch on Monday, the opposition All Progressives Congress in Rivers State accused Fubara of perpetrating an illegality.

The Rivers State House of Assembly became factionalised in October 2023 following a breakdown in the relationship between Fubara and Wike.

At the height of the crisis, Fubara survived an impeachment plot by the pro-Wike lawmakers, while the latter also announced their defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Since then, Fubara had tagged the 27 lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, as illegitimate, insisting he would have nothing to do with them.

On Monday, he presented the N1.18tn 2025 budget to the three-man factional Assembly, led by the Speaker,Victor Oko-Jumbo.

The other members of the Assembly are the Deputy Speaker, Adolphus Orubienimigha, and the House Leader, Sokari Goodboy Sokari.

The budget presentation took place at the Administrative Block of the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Fubara, in his address, said the budget, christened: “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” would be implemented to achieve sustainable economic growth, accelerate development and improve the living standards of residents.

He said, “The total projected revenue for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year is N1,188,962,739,932.36.

Two components of the budget are constituted as follows: recurrent expenditure of N462,254,153,418.98; capital expenditure of N678,088,433,692.03; planning reserve of N35,688,864,931.16; and a closing balance of N12,931,287,890.19.

“This gives a recurrent/capital expenditure ratio of 44:56 per cent, indicating the sincere commitment of our administration to both infrastructural and human capital development of our people and state.”

Fubara said nearly N31bn had been allocated to support interventions in agricultural development and support programmes for Rivers youths to tackle unemployment.

On education, the governor proposed to spend over N63bn, representing 9.3 per cent of the budget.

“With this, we shall access all outstanding matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission to rehabilitate, equip and furnish dilapidated public primary and junior secondary schools, and continue to provide free basic education to our children.

“We will also rehabilitate, equip and furnish as many senior secondary schools as possible across the state, including the provision of new classrooms, perimeter fencing, water and electricity, to provide a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning to take place,” he said

Fubara said with the proposed N97.750bn for the health sector, representing 14.4 per cent of the budget, all zonal hospitals, the upgraded neuropsychiatric hospital, and the new general hospital at Rumuigbo under reconstruction would be completed.

On road and transport infrastructure, the governor said over N195bn had been earmarked to complete all ongoing road projects and initiate new ones.

“In social development and investments, Mr Speaker, we have proposed to spend N15.4bn to advance youth and gender empowerment, jobs and wealth creation, sports development, and social inclusion,” he said.

The Speaker, Oko-Jumbo, lauded the governor for recording over N100bn increase in IGR, adding that it was also a testament to how attractive Rivers’ investment climate had become.

He promised the support of the legislature to the executive to ensure that the governor remained focused on delivering democratic dividends to the people.

However, the Rivers APC, led by its chairman, Tony Okocha, condemned Fubara’s decision to present the budget to three lawmakers while shunning the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers.

In an interview with The Punch, the Rivers APC’s Publicity Secretary, Chibuike Ikenga, accused the governor of flouting court orders.

He said, “I think the trajectory is a continuum where a case is sub judice and the government of Rivers State is continuing to act in disobedience to court processes and procedures.

“It is expected that having disobeyed the decision of the high court and the decision of the appellate court, we await the final decision from the Supreme Court on who is the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Our party, the APC, expects the state government to obey the judicial pronouncement and positions and await the determination of these issues before the final court so that we can have a reprieve and begin to develop our state

“That the government is disobeying those positions is unfortunate and does not encourage peacebuilding and development.”