Resignation galore for Fubara cabinet afta govnor sign N800bn 2024 budget into law - Latest from Rivers State political crisis

Five cabinet members tender dia resignation letters to Govnor Siminialayi of Rivers State on Thursday 14 December.

Di state attorney general and commissioner for justice, Professor Zacchaeus

Adangor for im resignation letter say im dey leave di goment sake of im personal principles.

Di commissioner for works Dr George-Kelly Alabo also drop im own letter di same day as im tok say na sake of im conscience, personal philosophy and professional ethics dey make am resign.

On im own part, di commissioner for social welfare and rehabilitation Inime Chinwenwo Aguma on Thursday tok say her decision to resign dey personal and e dey based on oda pressing commitments.

Commissioner of finance Isaac Kamalu also drop im own letter but im no tok why im dey resign.

Di commissioner of education Professor Prince Chinedu Mmom also tender im resignation witout giving any reason.

Dis dey come as Governor Fubara sign into law di 2024 Appropriation Bill passed by di Rivers State House of Assembly.

All di cabinet members wey drop dia letters say di resignation take effect on Thursday.

Govnor Fubara tok say di over 800 billion naira budget dey intended to address critical demands of di state and note say im administration dey committed to impact positively on di lives of Rivers pipo.

Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie describe di budget as one wey go give Rivers pipo joy as di figures dey in line wit modern realities and e capture critical infrastructure wey go benefit Rivers pipo.

E also assure di govnor say di House go continue to support am.

Earlier, Leader of di House, Adolphus Timothy Orubienimigha, as e present di bill to di governor for assent, say di House give approval to di over Eight Hundred Billion Naira budget after due deliberation and careful examination of di items wey dey budgeted and urge am to continue to remain resolute in di discharge of im duties to di pipo of di state in line wit im campaign promise to deliver dividends of democracy to di pipo.

Govnor Fubara present budget to four lawmakers

Di signing of di appropriation bill dey come afta di present am to four lawmakers.

Fubara call am "Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity".

Di state executive council discuss and approve an estimated budget of N800 billion for di goment to spend for di 2024 fiscal year.

Di sum of N412bn dey projected for capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure na N361billion with N21billion as reserve.

Dis na afta di lawmakers relocate to di state goment house as dia alternative sitting place following di ongoing renovation of di Assembly Complex.

For di resumed sitting, di House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie elect Adolphus Timothy Orubienimigha, member, representing Opobo/Nkoro State Constituency, as leader.

Di speaker also declare di seats of 25 lawmakers wey recently defect to di All Progressives Congress, APC vacant in line wit Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

Dis development dey come afta di defection of 27 lawmakers for Rivers State House of Assembly from di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to di All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.

Reacting to di mata, one sabi pesin bin say e mean say dem no be members of di assembly again.

Associate Professor of Public Law for Rivers State University, Ritchard Wokocha say, wetin section 109 of di Nigeria constitution tok about di tenure of an assembly member including di provision be say:

"If pesin wey dey elected on di platform of a political party comot from dat party to become member of anoda party, dat pesin don lose im seat - except wia im party bin dey crises at di time of di action or di party merge wit anoda party in whose name e take come di assembly."

Di 27 lawmakers for di Rivers State House of Assembly bin defect from di PDP go APC during di 87th legislative sitting for di assembly on Monday, 11 December 2023.

But according to di individual letters di lawmakers dem write to di Speaker, Martin Chike Amaewhule wey dem read on di floor of di house, dem say di reason for di defection na sake of di division wey dey di party, wey dey in regards to di tussle for di position of di National Secretary of di PDP.

Dem say di confusion wey surround dis position don generate many court cases and e don sharply divide di party, therefore, dem no fit continue to dey for dat kain political party.

But Prof Wokocha say di situation for Rivers State right now no indicate any of dis two conditions: e no get any merger between PDP and APC and no crisis dey di PDP.

Wokocha say di apex court don clarify all dis issues and uphold similar cases wey don come up to di effect say for a party to dey considered to be in crisis, di crisis need to be for di national level, like division for di board, formation of factional boards and leadership.

Dis no be di case for di PDP, weda for di national or even for di state level as di PDP get one leadership, one Exco and crisis no dey di party for any part of di state, not to tok of di nation, di prof explain.

"So effectively in law, e dey considered say dem don resign from dia positions as members of di House of Assembly. In di eyes of di law, di remaining four lawmakers na di only members of di House of Assembly of Rivers State."

Wetin go happun with di defected lawmakers?

Prof Wokocha explain say Section 109 provide say wia dis kain tin happen, na di Speaker or a member of di House na im go notify di House officially and provide evidence to show say any of circumstances don happen including recall and such tins like dat.

"Once dem present dis proofs for di floor of di House, di speaker go declare those positions vacant. So no be for INEC to declare di positions vacant, na for di remaining members of di House of Assembly to seat, present dis facts officially and for di presiding pesin to declare those positions vacant and den INEC go dey called upon to conduct election to refill those positions."

Wokocha say becos di remaining four members na di only legitimate members wey remain for di Rivers Assembly, dem get right to sit and carry out legislative functions like looking into and passing di budget of di state, becos di House of Assembly no dey dissolved.

"But if di legitimate members of di House declare di positions vacant, once dia actions dey officially recognised by di House say dem don resign and di positions dey declared vacant, if any of dem wan come back, he/she need to win dia party ticket and contest di conduct of election before dem fit come back.

Dis kain tin don happun before?

For March 2022, one Federal High Court for Abuja bin sack 20 Cross River State Assembly members ova dia defection from PDP to APC.

PDP bin bring case against di lawmakers sake of dia defection to APC.

Di judgement for di suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 wey Justice Taiwo Taiwo deliver hold say di lawmakers must vacate dia seats, becos dem abandon di political party wey sponsor dem to power.

INEC, speaker of di House of Representatives, National Assembly, clerk of di National Assembly, Cross River state House of Assembly, Clerk of di state House of Assembly and di APC follow join as defendants for di suit.

For dia defence, di lawmakers bin argue say crises bin dey di PDP wey make dem to expel dem from di party.

Di APC for dia submissions tell di court say di lawmakers no be registered members of di party.

However, di judge hold say di defendants get intentions to mislead di court. E say e find gaps and loopholes for dia defence as dem try to twist events to suit dia own narratives.

Justice Taiwo note say dem no only defect loudly, “dem take pictures of dia defection and bin dey well received by officials of di 26th defendant”.

For di case of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki wey bin defect from di APC to di PDP and e still retain im position, Prof Wokocha point out say crises bin dey di party at dat time.

Goment explain why dem demolish House of Assembly

Di Rivers State goment say di decision to demolish and rebuild di Rivers State House of Assembly Complex na due to di structural defects wey come about mainly as a result of di recent explosion and fire incident wey render di main building "unfit for human use."

Na one statement wey di Rivers State Commissioner for Information Joseph Johnson issue tok so.

"Afta di assessment of di integrity of di complex, di experts warn di goment say to dey continue to use di building for im present state go dey disastrous", e tok, noting say di goment bin try all cost saving measures towards repairing of di complex until dem get to accept di view of rebuilding di complex.

In di interim, di Rivers State Government don provide alternative venue for di House of Assembly to conduct dia affairs pending di rebuilding of the complex." Di statement tok.

Di temporary assembly complex dey inside Government House.