Tensions are escalating between the Rivers State government and the State House of Assembly over the implementation of a Supreme Court judgment, particularly regarding the timely presentation of the 2025 budget. The two sides are at loggerheads over the governor’s efforts to present the budget, with each side accusing the other of obstructing the process.
Lawmakers have accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of intentionally blocking the execution of the Supreme Court’s ruling, while the state government has urged the Assembly to reconvene so that the budget can be formally presented and considered. The dispute has raised questions about the relationship between the executive and the legislature in Rivers State and has sparked concerns about the potential constitutional crisis that could result if the issue is not resolved.
The heart of the dispute centers around the governor’s efforts to present the 2025 budget to the Assembly, which he says is required by the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, the Assembly, led by the lawmakers, has expressed frustration over the lack of communication and the governor’s alleged failure to follow proper procedures.
In a statement, Dr. Enemi Alabo George, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and spokesperson for the Assembly, refuted the governor’s claim that he had sent a letter requesting to present the appropriation bill to the House. George challenged the governor to provide proof of the letter, stating that no such communication had been received by the Assembly.
“Last week, we were told that on his way to Ogoni for a program, the governor made a stop at the House of Assembly Quarters gate to address the press. He claimed to have sent a letter to the House requesting to present the appropriation bill, but no such letter was received,” George said.
He went on to criticize the governor’s aides for allegedly forwarding the letter via WhatsApp to some lawmakers, calling the action “awkward, unprofessional, and embarrassing.” He dismissed the letter circulating on social media as false and insisted that the House had not received any formal communication from the governor.
“As I speak, social media is flooded with reports about a supposed letter from the governor to the House. This is false. We categorically state that there is no such letter before the House or its staff. We challenge the governor to produce an acknowledged copy or any evidence of its receipt,” George added.
George also accused Governor Fubara of deliberately frustrating the efforts of the Assembly to work with him after the Supreme Court judgment, particularly with regards to the budget. The Assembly had earlier written to the governor urging him to present the budget for immediate consideration. The lawmakers had hoped to pass the budget by March 15, 2025, which would allow time for the federal government to release funds frozen by the court’s ruling.
However, George alleged that the governor had ignored the Assembly’s requests, and when their staff attempted to deliver a letter to the Government House, they were allegedly harassed by security personnel. The Assembly then used a courier service to send the letter, but according to George, the governor failed to respond.
“After the Supreme Court ruling, we wrote to the governor urging him to present the budget immediately for speedy consideration. We had hoped to pass the bill by March 15, 2025, to allow time for the federal government to release funds frozen by the court ruling,” George said. “However, our letter was rejected, and House staff who attempted to deliver it were harassed at the Government House gate. We later used a courier service, yet the governor ignored our call and showed no intention to engage with us.”
The tension has only escalated as the Assembly continues to adjourn without taking action on the budget, which is seen as crucial to the state’s economic planning for the upcoming year. George suggested that the governor’s failure to cooperate could be politically motivated, creating unnecessary obstacles to the smooth functioning of state governance.
In response to the accusations from the Assembly, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, fired back, dismissing the claims that the governor had failed to communicate with the Assembly. He insisted that the state government had made several attempts to engage the lawmakers about the budget.
Johnson explained that after receiving the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court’s judgment on March 7, the governor’s office sent a letter to the Assembly requesting to present the budget. However, Johnson claimed that the Assembly pretended not to have seen the letter and continued to delay the process.
“We wrote to the Assembly on March 7 when we got the Certified True Copy of the judgment, but they pretended not to have seen it. We sent another letter on March 12, informing them of our intention to present the budget, but they hurriedly ended their sitting, locked us out, and fled,” Johnson said.
Johnson further revealed that the state government had sent another letter on March 13, but upon receiving it, the Assembly adjourned indefinitely, leading to further frustration. The government spokesperson warned that failing to consider the budget would be a violation of the Supreme Court ruling and could lead to a constitutional crisis.
“If they don’t sit and address the budget as directed by the Supreme Court, it would imply opposition to the court’s ruling, creating a constitutional stalemate that benefits no one,” Johnson cautioned.
At the center of this dispute is a Supreme Court ruling that requires the Rivers State government to present the 2025 budget within a specified time frame. The judgment came after a legal battle surrounding the budget presentation process, and the ruling has forced both the executive and the legislature to act within strict guidelines.
The Supreme Court’s decision was intended to ensure that the state’s financial planning could proceed without delays, as it is crucial for the proper allocation of funds and the implementation of key development programs. However, the ongoing clash between the state government and the Assembly has raised concerns about the ability of the two arms of government to work together in the interest of the people.
The disagreement between the Rivers State government and the Assembly has sparked fears of a constitutional crisis. If the budget is not presented and passed in a timely manner, the state could face significant challenges in accessing necessary funding from the federal government and in ensuring that state programs and projects proceed as planned.
Legal experts have warned that failure to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling could lead to a breakdown in governance, with serious consequences for the state’s development.
