The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, presented the 2024 state appropriation bill of N800 billion on Wednesday morning to a four-man House of Assembly led by factional Speaker Edison Ehie.
The presentation occurred while Rivers citizens and residents grappled with the news of the sudden demolition of parts of the state House of Assembly complex.
Presenting the budget bill of 800 billion naira to the Assembly, Governor Siminalayi Fubara stated that his administration would continue to focus on delivering on its mandate and that every sector would benefit from the development agenda.
He assured that his administration would work with the state assembly to achieve the desired success for the state, mentioning that in the past six months, his government had completed projects inherited from the previous administration, with those unfinished nearing completion.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara highlighted that his administration would implement measures to stimulate industrialization and encourage investment for the state’s development.
He noted that his administration was up-to-date in paying salaries and pensions to civil servants, adding that 6 billion had been spent to settle the backlog of gratuity for retired civil servants.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara clarified that the 2024 budget was based on the country’s inflation rate and other economic realities.
Reports indicated that Edison Ehie and his group sat at the complex before the demolition, announcing the governor’s desire to relocate the sitting to a more convenient place. The governor reportedly allocated a space in the government house for their meetings pending the house’s renovation.
Early Wednesday morning reports suggested that the main chamber of the assembly was demolished, ostensibly to make way for the burnt section of the complex. The demolition occurred under heavy security and with heavy-duty trucks.
Our correspondent at the scene reported that the section being pulled down was the main chamber, which had suffered an arson attack recently during the ongoing crisis between factions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
When sending this report, the main chamber was haphazardly demolished without any attempts to recover anything from the offices, not even the air-conditioning systems.
The equipment mobilised for the demolition was all on pause, and there was no movement around the complex except for pedestrians passing askance on the adjoining Moscow Road leading to the complex.
It should be noted that the 27 Pro-Wike lawmakers, who recently defected to the APC, continued to hold their meetings at the complex despite a court injunction against further activities of the assembly.
Therefore, the demolition or the commencement of the complex reconstruction might also be part of moves to make it impossible for Martin Amaewhule’s s-led faction of legislators to continue their meetings.
Recall that only on Monday did the 27 pro-wike lawmakers of the assembly suddenly announce their defection to the APC, after which a Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice Danagogo recognized Edison Ehie as the authentic speaker of the state assembly.
