Oko-Jumbo Assembly Approves Fubara’s Use of Public Funds

Victor Oko-Jumbo, the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has denounced the resolution passed by the Martin Amaewhule-led House that forbids Governor Siminalayi Fubara from using public monies.

This was said by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo during Tuesday’s plenary session.

He claimed that the actions of Amaewhule and twenty-four other people, whom he identified as former House members, were baseless and illogical.

Oko-Jumbo contended that the group lacked both the moral and legal authority to prevent the governor from using taxpayer money.

After Amaewhule and 24 other individuals defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023, he argued that they are not members of the Assembly.

He backed up his claim with the assertion that the constitution’s defection clause is self-executing.

He continued by saying that the section became even more effective after Edison Ehie, who was recognized as the Speaker by a court before to his assumption of office, declared the 25 seats empty.

He declared that the Assembly, under his leadership, is the officially recognized branch that, naturally, oversees the house’s statutory distribution.

Oko-Jumbo clarified that the appropriations measure in question was properly introduced by Governor Fubara to the house during Edison Ehie’s tenure as speaker, and it was subsequently passed and signed into law.

According to him, the house is waiting for the medium-term spending framework to be presented before the fiscal year 2025 begins.

In addition to pleading with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold the byelection as soon as possible to replace the 25 open seats in the house, he asked the public to disregard the Amaewhule declaration.

Recall that the House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, halted the governor of Rivers State’s spending on Monday.

This came after the MPs issued the governor a seven-day ultimatum to come before the House with his budget.

Major Jack, the House Leader, had brought up the motion after alerting the chamber to the governor’s seven-day deadline for presenting the 2024 budget to the House.

Following consideration, the House decided to close the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account, which stops Governor Fubara’s administration from making any state-related expenditures.

A few months prior, Fubara had given the budget to a group of lawmakers who supported him. The governor’s chief of staff, Edison Ehie, then led the members of the House of Assembly.

The budget projections were then approved by Ehie and the legislators, and Fubara subsequently signed them into law.