The Ijaw National Congress (INC) and some stakeholders in Rivers State have decried fresh political wrangling in the state between the legislature and the executive despite the peace accord signed on the instance of President Bola Tinubu.
INC through its worldwide President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, expressed worry that despite Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s commitment towards implementing his part of the peace agreement, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has allegedly continued to attack the governor and his supporters through the 26 House of Assembly lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule.
The INC President, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said that the current political scenario was for the State House of Assembly to proceed with impeachment notice on the governor.
Okaba, however, warned that the Ijaw nations in Niger Delta and beyond will not tolerate or accept further oppressive moves by Wike and his cohorts against the governor.
The Guardian learnt that the political crisis in the state has continued unabated despite the peace pact initiated by Tinubu. Findings show that Fubara has complied with almost his part of the agreement except for the presentation of the 2024 budget afresh to the state Assembly.
The Commissioner of Information and Communication, Joe Johnson, confirmed that the governor, in compliance with the agreement, has withdrawn all cases in court, expressing dismay that the Wike-led group rather took their cases to the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Amaewhule, has said that lawmakers were surprised that Fubara withheld his assent to four bills recently passed into law.
The four bills include the Rivers State House of Assembly Fund Management Bill, the Rivers State Local Government Law (Amendment) Bill, the Rivers State Traditional Rulers’ Law (Amendment) Bill, and the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property Prohibition (Repeal) Bill.
Recall that Fubara, in letters written to the House of Assembly, stated that such amendments would create confusion and breach constitutional provisions.
Consequently, the House, at its 99th legislative session, decided to override the rejection of the four bills by the governor, citing Section 100 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered.
Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has cautioned the governor against running the state without a duly approved budget by the state House of Assembly.
The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party in the state, Tony Okocha, spoke in Port Harcourt while visiting the Speaker of the State Assembly in the company of his committee.
Okocha called on Fubara to immediately represent the 2024 budget to the Assembly, while urging the executive arm to shelve unnecessary delay in presenting the 2024 Budget estimate to the Assembly.
Okocha added: “We frown at the governor’s impunity in running Rivers State without a budget. However, we remind him that it will amount to gross financial misconduct for him to continue on this dangerous voyage.
