Tension In Rivers As N1.85tn Budget Hits Brick Wall Over Fubara-Lawmakers Rift

The 2026 Rivers State Appropriation Bill has remained pending in the State House of Assembly one month after Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented the N1.854tn proposal.

Investigations revealed that fresh agreements between the governor and the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly are reportedly responsible for the delay.

Fubara presented the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development” to the Assembly on July 10, 2026. The Speaker had expressed concern over the late presentation but assured that lawmakers would give the bill expedited consideration.

However, the budget has yet to be passed, with little information emerging on legislative scrutiny, budget defence or other proceedings.

A source in the Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor reached agreements with the lawmakers before they allowed him to present the budget.

According to the source, the agreements included outstanding benefits and entitlements for lawmakers, particularly constituency projects.

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“The governor has not been able to fulfil the agreements. Instead of doing it once, he is doing it in piecemeal,” the source said.

The source added that the lack of trust between the governor and lawmakers had contributed to the delay, alleging that the Assembly wanted the governor to fulfil his part of the agreements before passing the budget.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had also alleged that Fubara failed to fulfil about 90 per cent of agreements reached with the lawmakers and “the family.”

Wike specifically alleged that the governor had failed to release funds to the State Assembly Service Commission and had not provided vehicles for lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the proposed N41.4bn allocation to the State House of Assembly has attracted criticism, with some stakeholders describing it as excessive.

The delay has also raised concerns over project implementation across the state, with some projects, including the multi-billion-naira Ring Road, reportedly stalled or operating at a limited pace due to the absence of appropriated funds.

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Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogidi, urged the governor and lawmakers to clarify the status of the budget and ensure its passage without further delay.

Ebogidi said Rivers residents deserved to know what was responsible for the slow pace of consideration, stressing that political developments ahead of the 2027 elections should not disrupt governance.

Punch reports that similarly, National President of the South-South Youths Initiative, Oscar Imeabe, said the delay could affect the execution of roads, schools, hospitals and youth programmes.

He urged the Assembly to prioritise the passage of the budget so that the state government could effectively implement its development plans.