You have no right over Rivers govt funds,’ Pro-Fubara Speaker tackles Amaewhule

The factional Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly Victor Oko Jumbo has said 25 member-faction of lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule has no legal capacity or moral basis to stop Governor Fubara from withdrawing or spending funds from the Consolidated Revenue the State

Jumbo who is leading a three-man House of Assembly loyal to Governor Fubara said this while reacting to resolution barring Governor Fubara from withdrawing or spending funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state by the Amaewhule faction over alleged failure to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to them for approval.
The resolution further threatened that the House will declare a Government shutdown on expenditure, until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the House.

But Jumbo claimed Amaewhule and his 24 colleagues are former lawmakers’ who cannot order Governor Fubara not to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State in a press statement he personally signed on Tuesday.
Jumbo said, ” On the 11th Day 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).

“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 Day of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, Esq, PhD, as the then duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Hon Justice Danagogo on the 12th Day of December, 2023 in Suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, and pursuant to section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant.

Consequent to the above Constitutional provisions and the declaration of their seats vacant, the recognised 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 remuneration to the former members.
He reminded claimed that the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, which is the legitimate House under the his leadership of is the only one recognised by law and the Rivers State Government, and thus has been receiving all statutory allocations due the House of Assembly and has been discharging its financial obligations by paying the salaries of the recognised Honourable members of the House, their aides, and allowances of the public servants in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He further stated that “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.

Jumbo said “May I remind the defected members that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the then Speaker Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, and it was duly passed on the 13th Day of December, 2023 and assented to on the 14th Day of December, 2023″.

Also, he explained that the House led by him awaits to receive from His Excellency, the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next 3 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.”

He warned the general public to disregard and ignore those he called misguided former members, and also discountenace their illegal actions.

Jumbo who copied the Accountant General of the Federation, State Accountant General, Chairman, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Abuja and banks among others called 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.