UPDATE: PANIC IN RIVERS AS 7-DAY BUDGET ULTIMATUM REACHES DEADLINE

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… Amaewhule’s Kinsman Dismisses Ultimatum As Laughable

As the House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, gives Governor Siminalayi Fubara seven days to resubmit the 2024 budget, uncertainty has once again descended onto the political scene in Rivers State. The deadline is this week.

If the count includes weekends, the July 8 ultimatum expires today, and if not, it expires on Wednesday.

The House Committee on Judiciary Chairman, Dumle Maol, made a motion that led to the Assembly’s order.

Maol, who is also the Pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, asked the House to formally inform the governor to propose the budget in light of a recent court decision that, in their opinion, confirmed Amaewhule’s leadership and verified their membership.

One of the main components of the December presidential peace agreement, which attempted to end the political unrest in the South-South state, was the budget’s re-presentation.

The $800 billion budget was previously presented by Governor Fubara to the Assembly under the direction of Edison Ehie, who is currently the Governor’s Chief of Staff.

Victor Oko-Jumbo is the faction’s current leader in the Assembly.

The fact that the budget is still in effect after being approved and signed into law suggests that the peace accord has broken down.

Last week, Governor Fubara announced that his administration is already preparing the 2025 budget, indicating that the demand for the re-presentation of the 2024 budget is unrealistic.

The crisis in Rivers State, which began about eight months ago, has continued to evolve.

It started with a fire at the State House of Assembly in October, followed by an attempted impeachment of Fubara, massive resignations from the executive cabinet, and unrest over local government administration. This phase culminated in a failed attack on the Presidential Hotel.

With the deadline for the 2024 budget presentation set for this week, the political climate in the state appears tense, as the assembly and the governor navigate the ongoing crisis.

Meanwhile, Chijioke Ihunwo, a pro-Fubara politician from the same community as Amaewhule, has dismissed the 7-day ultimatum on the governor as laughable.

Ihunwo, who was appointed by the governor as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, urged Amaewhule to accept his fate as a former assembly member, after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

He encouraged the people of Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality, comprising Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, and Emohua Local Government Areas, to continue supporting the Governor under the leadership of former Senator John Azuta-Mbata.

The politician, who was criticised for appointing 100 aides last week, said the decision which other CTC Chairmen are also implementing is aimed at bringing local government administration closer to the grassroots.

He announced that more appointments would be made in the coming days, to demonstrate that the Fubara-led government is inclusive.