More Troubles For Fubara As Appeal Court Orders Representation Of Budget

The political crises rocking Rivers State seem to have taken a new twist as the Appeal Court on Thursday ordered Gov Sim Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget to the group of lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule.

Didactic Information Hut recalls that Gov Fubara had presented the 2024 N800bn Rivers State Budget to the House of Assembly loyal to then Speaker Edison Ehie.

This action was in disobedience to a judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja headed by Justice Omotosho who had nullified the 2024 Rivers budget passed by pro-Fubara lawmakers and set aside the presentation and passage of the Rivers State 2024 budget.

Justice Omotoso had in the judgment ordered Gov Fubara to re-present the budget to the legally constituted House of Assembly under Martin Amaewhule, release all funds accruable to the Rivers House of Assembly and barred the governor from interfering with the activities of the Assembly among others.

But the Governor acted to the contrary.

At the Court of Appeal, the appeal by Gov Fubara was dismissed on grounds that it lacked merit.

The Appeal court held that Governor Fubara withdrew his counter-affidavit at the lower court in the matter and as such cannot commence an appeal in a matter he did not challenge at the trial stage.

In the unanimous judgement, the court knocked Governor Fubara for applying the rule of might against the rule of law.

The court further described the situation in Rivers State House of Assembly as an executive dictatorship by the governor and a joke taken too far.