January 22, (THEWILL) – Current Affairs Correspondent
The Federal High Court, Abuja has invalidated the passage of the 2024 Rivers State appropriation bill by five lawmakers led by Edison Ehie.
Tagged ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation, and Continuity’, the five-member faction of the Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara had on December 13, passed the N800bn 2024 budget proposal presented to it by the Governor.
The Governor had signed the budget into law on December 14, merely 24 hours after its presentation to the lawmakers.
The 26-member Assembly loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on January 7, passed a resolution, urging Governor Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget and the medium-term expenditure framework for reconsideration.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule.
However, in a ruling on Monday, Justice James Omotosho recognised Amaewhule as the speaker of the State Assembly and consequently declared everything done by the five lawmakers led by Edison Ehie was null and void.
THEWILL recalls that as part of the conditions to end the political crisis in Rivers State, under a peace accord facilitated by President Bola Tinubu, Fubara is expected to re-present the budget.
