Rivers State House Of Assembly Raises Alarm Over 2024 Budget
The Rivers State House of Assembly is concerned about the budget for 2024
Governor Siminalayi Fubara is expected to present the lawmakers with the 2024 Appropriations Bill and the medium-term expenditure framework, according to the Rivers State House of Assembly, which is led by Martin Amaewhule.
The 25 legislators made this revelation on Tuesday during their reconvened meeting on the floor of the Rivers Assembly building located on Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
They deliberated over the Public Accounts Committee's tardy submission of the state's audited account before making the decision.
Following the committee's explanations, Speaker Amaewhule approved their request for an extra three weeks to complete their work and report back to the House.
Amaewhule counseled the State's Auditor General to provide the assembly with access to the state accounts in accordance with the Constitution.
According to our correspondent, the lawmakers also decided to send Fubara a letter informing him of their upcoming recess so that it would coincide with his schedule.
According to a statement issued by Martins Wachukwu, media aide to the Speaker, the House gave the first reading to the Traditional Rulers Law (amendment) bill, advertisement and use of state-owned property prohibition (repealed) bill.
According to the statement, Major Jack, the member who introduced the bill sponsored by the Majority Leader and who also represents Akuku Toru Constituency I, claimed that if the bill is passed, it will bring the Traditional Rulers Law up to date with modern standards by amending certain sections of the main legislation.
Similarly, a bill to repeal the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law No. 7 of 2022 was given first reading in the House.
Tonye Adoki, the member for Port Harcourt Constituency II, was the sponsor and presenter of the bill.
In her speech on the Order of the Day, Speaker Amaewhule cited relevant sections of the amended 1999 Federal Republic of Nigerian Constitution, which gave the State House of Assembly the authority to receive a report of the audited state budget. As a result, she urged the House Committee on Public Accounts to look into the reason why the state auditor general has not yet submitted the 2022 audited state budget to the House.
The statement further said earlier, that the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee,. Major Jack had asked the House to extend the Committee's mandate so that it could conduct additional research and consult with stakeholders prior to delivering its report. Three weeks are allotted to the committee to deliver its report to the House.
Amaewhule continued his remarks by implying that the state's Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriations Bill have not yet been delivered to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“When put to vote, the House unanimously agreed to write to the Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, to notify him of the delay in presenting the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the 1999 Constitution as altered,” the statement added.
This occurred the day after he gave the budget estimates to a state House of Assembly faction that Edison Ehie was leading at the time.
The governor will properly resubmit the budget proposal to the House of Assembly as part of the agreement reached at a peace conference on the state's political crisis, called by President Bola Tinubu.
Since then, Ehie has resigned from the House, having served as the faction's factional Speaker at the time the budget plan was given to them.
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