Rivers Assembly Denounces Unfounded Resolution by Former Members

July 16, 2024

The Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko Jumbo has officially denounced an illegal resolution passed by 25 former members, led by Martin Amaewhule. These ex-legislators, who defected from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), passed a resolution on July 15, 2024, attempting to restrict Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, from authorizing withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.

The resolution threatened a government shutdown on expenditure until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the House. It also directed the Governor to halt further authorization of withdrawals and instructed all state ministries, commissions, agencies, and departments to cease spending taxpayer funds until the bill is laid before the former members.

In response, the House issued a comprehensive statement:

Rivers State House of Assembly Denounces Unfounded Resolution by Former Members

Distinguished Honourable members, ladies and gentlemen, the news of the illegal sitting of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, crowded our television screens and social media space yesterday, the 15th of July, 2024. These former members, having no legal capacity or moral basis, passed a resolution stating that the Governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, is not permitted to authorize the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.

The resolution further threatened that the House would declare a government shutdown on expenditure until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the House. Additionally, the resolution directed the Governor to desist from further authorization of withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State and to instruct all Rivers State Government Ministries, Commissions, Agencies, Departments, and Extra-Ministerial Departments to stop spending taxpayers’ funds until the 2024 Appropriation Bill is laid before the former members, who are wrongly parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The House states as follows:

1. On the 1st of December, 2023, at the 87th Legislative sitting of the House, former Speaker Martin Amaewhule and the 24 former members defected from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

2. By virtue of section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which are self-executing, and consequent upon their defection, on the 13th of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, Esq., PhD, as the then duly recognized Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Hon. Justice Danagogo on the 12th of December, 2023, in Suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, and pursuant to section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant.

3. Consequently, the recognized 10th Rivers State House of Assembly is the one led by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo. Thus, the Rivers State Government has ceased paying any form of salaries, allowances, or statutory remunerations to the former members.

4. The 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, is the only one recognized by law and the Rivers State Government, and thus has been receiving all statutory allocations due to the House of Assembly. It has been discharging its financial obligations by paying the salaries of the recognized Honourable members of the House, their aides, and allowances of the public servants in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

5. Martin Amaewhule and the 24 ex-lawmakers hinged their resolution on section 122 of the 1999 Constitution. That section empowers a State Governor to continue to make appropriations for 6 months from the budget of the previous fiscal year, where for any reason he is unable to present an Appropriation Bill to the House.

6. It should be noted that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the then Speaker Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, and it was duly passed on the 13th of December, 2023, and assented to on the 14th of December, 2023.

7. This House awaits to receive from His Excellency the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next three financial years, pursuant to section 10 of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, No 8 of 2010, in order to prepare for the 2025 fiscal year.

8. The general public is therefore called upon to disregard and ignore those misguided former members, and also discountenance their illegal actions.

Also Read: Governor Fubara Reshuffles Management Staff of Rivers State House of Assembly

9. I once again call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to expedite preparations towards the conduct of a bye-election to fill the vacant seats created in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the defection of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others.

Signed:

Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly

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