Fubara, Lawmakers’ Fresh Agreements Stall Rivers ₦1.854 Trillion Budget

Fresh agreements reached between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly have reportedly contributed to the delay in passing the state’s 2026 Appropriation Bill, one month after it was presented to lawmakers.

Fubara presented the ₦1.854 trillion proposal, christened the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” to the Assembly on July 10.

Although Speaker Martin Amaewhule expressed concern over the late presentation, he assured that lawmakers would give the budget the attention it deserved.

However, more than a month later, the proposal has yet to be passed, while little has been disclosed publicly about budget defence sessions and other legislative processes relating to the appropriation bill.

Sources familiar with developments in the Assembly told The PUNCH that lawmakers reached fresh agreements with Fubara before allowing him to present the budget following months of political crisis.

One Assembly source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the governor had yet to fulfil some of the commitments.

“To resolve the lingering political crisis, the governor met with the lawmakers on his 2026 appropriation bill. They had an agreement, and the deal paved the way for the lawmakers to allow the governor to present his appropriation bill,” the source said.

“But the governor has not been able to fulfil the agreements.”

According to the source, some of the issues involved lawmakers’ benefits, entitlements and constituency projects.

“The governor has not done anything for them since assuming office, and I think they expect him to pay most of their outstanding benefits, and he agreed to do so, but hasn’t kept to his promise,” the source alleged.

The claims could not be independently verified.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had also hinted at disagreements surrounding the budget during a recent media chat in Port Harcourt.

Wike alleged that Fubara had failed to implement most of the agreements reached during the reconciliation process.

“The issue of budget, I know why you asked because you expected that once the budget is presented today, it will be passed tomorrow,” Wike said.

“Remember it won’t be that easy. But at the end of the day, the budget will be passed.”

The former Rivers governor alleged that Fubara had failed to release funds to the State House of Assembly Service Commission and had not provided some agreed benefits.

“I will tell you totally that the governor has failed 90 per cent of what they all agreed on,” he said.

Wike, however, maintained that the budget would eventually be passed and transmitted to Fubara for assent.

Another source said the delay reflected lingering mistrust between the executive and legislature despite the political reconciliation.

“The House of Assembly does not trust the governor because of a series of broken promises and unfulfilled agreements,” the source said.

“So, in any new agreement, they want the governor to satisfy his own side of the bargain first.”

Efforts to obtain a response by the aforementioned publication from Fubara’s Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to him were unanswered.

The delay has raised concerns about the implementation of capital projects in the state.

Some projects, including the multi-billion-naira Ring Road, are reportedly progressing slowly or operating on a limited scale amid uncertainty over appropriated funding.

The proposed ₦41.4bn allocation to the Rivers State House of Assembly has also attracted criticism from some stakeholders, who consider the amount excessive.

Others have defended the allocation, arguing that the legislature requires adequate funding to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.

Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogidi, urged both the executive and legislature to clarify the status of the budget and explain the reasons for the delay.

“I think the most important thing at this point is for Rivers people to have clarity on where the 2026 budget currently stands,” he told The PUNCH.

Ebogidi noted that the budget was already presented late and warned that the remaining implementation period was becoming shorter.

“The concern is not about rushing the legislative process, but about ensuring that the process does not lose momentum, particularly because implementation time is already becoming limited,” he said.

He urged political actors not to allow realignments ahead of the 2027 elections to undermine governance.

“Those developments are part of politics and should be allowed to take their course. But irrespective of the political arrangements around 2027, the government must continue to function,” he added.

The National President of the South-South Youths Initiative, Oscar Imeabe, also expressed concern over the delay.

According to him, failure to pass the budget promptly could slow project delivery and other government programmes.

“Budgets are the blueprint for development. Every day of delay is a day of delayed roads, schools, hospitals, and youth programmes,” he said.

Imeabe urged the Assembly to prioritise consideration of the bill and prevent further disruptions to governance.