Rivers Lawmakers Urges Governor Fubara To Resubmit 2024 Budget

Rivers lawmakers have urged Governor Fubara to resubmit the 2024 Budget.

Glamtush reports that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is expected to provide lawmakers with the 2024 Appropriations Bill and the medium-term expenditure framework, according to the Rivers State House of Assembly.

This revelation was made by Martin Amaewhule’s faction of the Rivers Assembly at their reconvened meeting on Tuesday on the floor of the Rivers Assembly building.

They made the call after they deliberated on the delayed submission of the audited account of the state by the Public Accounts Committee.

After hearing the committee’s explanation, the Speaker, Amaewhule, accepted their request for an additional three weeks to complete their work and report back to the house.

Glamtush understands that Amaewhule directed the State Auditor General to make the state accounts public to the Assembly following the Constitution.

A statement issued by the speakers’ media aide Martins Wachukwu, detailed that the House gave the first reading to the Traditional Rulers Law (amendment) bill, advertisement and use of state-owned property prohibition (repealed) bill.

The Speaker, spoke on the Order of the Day and cited pertinent sections of the amended 1999 Federal Republic of Nigerian Constitution, which gave the State House of Assembly the authority to receive a report of the audited state account.

The Speaker urged the House Committee on Public Accounts to look into the reason why the state’s auditor general has not yet submitted the 2022 audited state account to the House.

Amaewhule hinted that the Rivers State House of Assembly is yet to receive the state’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

“When put to vote, the House unanimously agreed to write to the Governor,  Siminialayi Fubara, to notify him of the delay in presenting the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the 1999 Constitution as altered,” the statement added.