Fresh agreements between members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, have been cited as the reason for the delay in passing the 2026 Appropriation Bill, a month after its presentation.

It was reported that the lawmakers reached undisclosed agreements with the governor before allowing the late presentation of the appropriation bill.

Fubara presented his N1.854tn 2026 appropriation bill to the House of Assembly on June 10, about a month ago, amid complaints from the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, that the presentation was behind schedule.

Fubara presented the fiscal documents after the budget approved for the former Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, expired and the six-month grace window allowed by the constitution closed.

Most stakeholders were said to be disappointed that the bill they had expected the lawmakers to consider and pass expeditiously to arrest a looming constitutional crisis had been delayed for over a month.

A source from the Assembly, speaking in confidence, insisted that fresh agreements between Fubara and the lawmakers were the reason for the delay.

The source said, “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.

“But the governor has not been able to fulfil the agreements. Nobody forced him to enter into the agreement, which the lawmakers know is within his capacity to fulfil. Instead of doing it once, he is doing it in piecemeal”.

When asked about the components of the new agreement, the source said, “I don’t have details of all of them. But some of them have to do with the lawmakers’ benefits and entitlements, especially their 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 insisted that the lack of mutual trust between the governor and the lawmakers following a series of broken promises and unkept agreements had contributed to the bill’s passage delay.

“The House of Assembly does not trust the governor because of a series of broken promises and unfulfilled agreements. So, in any new agreement, they want the governor to satisfy his own side of the bargain first. What they are asking for is legitimate. They are not begging for it, and nobody forced the governor to agree to it. They only want him to fulfil it now because they don’t believe he will still do it after getting the budget”, he said.

In his recent Media chat, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) assured that the budget would be properly scrutinised before its passage, adding that it would surely be passed.

The delay has, however, caused concerns in the state, with many warning that issues surrounding the appropriation bill should not trigger another round of crisis in the state.

The Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly had so far held about two sittings since Fubara presented the bill without mentioning anything about the budget.

Though the governor’s aides refused to comment on the matter, the Convener of Rivers Peace Initiative (RPI), Obinna Ebogidi, called on the Rivers State Executive and House of Assembly to provide clarity on the status of the 2026 Appropriation Bill and ensure its passage without further delay.

Ebogidi said the delay was becoming a concern because the budget was presented late and the Assembly leadership had earlier indicated that it would receive accelerated consideration.

Ebogidi said Rivers people deserved to know where the budget currently stood and what was responsible for the apparent slow pace of consideration.

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

According to him, having been assured of accelerated consideration because of the late presentation, citizens would naturally expect to have seen appreciable progress by now.

He said, “So, naturally, citizens would expect to have seen appreciable movement by now. 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.”

Ebogidi noted that the budget delay was taking place against the backdrop of significant political realignments in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

He, however, stressed that political developments should not be allowed to undermine the day-to-day administration of the state.

“We also have to appreciate the political context in which this is happening. There are significant political realignments taking place, and the Governor has a relatively short period left in the life of the administration,” he said.

He added that while political developments were a normal part of democratic engagement, governance must continue irrespective of the political arrangements ahead of 2027.

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

According to him, Rivers residents still have pressing needs which require government attention, while critical sectors of the economy and public service cannot afford to be stalled because of political considerations.

“The people still have immediate needs, and critical sectors cannot be held back by the political calendar,” he said.

Ebogidi appealed to both the executive and legislative arms of government to communicate clearly with the people on the issues surrounding the budget and demonstrate a sense of urgency in concluding the process.

He said, “My appeal is really for both the Executive and the Legislature to give Rivers people some clarity and urgency. If there are issues delaying the process, let citizens understand them. If there are none, then the budget should move forward.

He said political reconciliation and effective governance were not mutually exclusive, urging the relevant authorities to pursue both simultaneously.

The Rivers Peace Initiative convener said the remaining months of the administration should ultimately be judged by its ability to deliver tangible development to the people rather than by the intensity of political activities ahead of 2027.

“In the end, what should define these remaining months is not the politics of 2027, but the quality of governance and the tangible things that can still be delivered to the people of Rivers State,” he said.

Ebogidi further recalled the impact of the prolonged political crisis in the state, saying Rivers residents had borne the brunt of the disruption to governance and development.

“After all, it is the people who paid the greatest price in denied governance and lost development opportunities during the nearly two years of governance gridlock in the state,” he said. (The Nation)

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