Rivers Assembly To Fubara: "You Have Not Presented The 2024 Budget"

Rivers Assembly To Fubara: "You Have Not Presented The 2024 Budget"

...Yet to Receive Medium Term Expenditure Framework and 2024 Appropriation Bill

The Rivers State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, at its 90th legislative sitting has given First Reading to a Bill which seeks to amend the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No. 4 of 2015.

Presenting the Bill sponsored by the Majority Leader, who is also the Member representing Akuku Toru Constituency I, Hon. Major Jack averred that the Bill seeks to amend some sections of the Principal Law, and when passed, will make the Traditional Rulers law be in tune with current realities.

In the same vein, the House gave First Reading to a Bill which seeks to repeal the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law No.7 of 2022. The Bill was sponsored and presented by the Member representing Port Harcourt Constituency II, Hon Tonye Smart Adoki.

Speaking on the Order of the Day, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule Amaewhule, cited relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, that empowered the State House of Assembly to receive Report of the audited account of the State, and therefore urged the House Committee on Public Accounts to investigate why the Auditor-General of the State has not submitted the 2022 audited account of the State to the House.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Major Jack had requested the House to give the Committee more time to enable the Committee do further inquiry and consultation before submitting its Report. The committee has been given three weeks to submit its Report to the House.

Commenting further, Rt. Hon. Amaewhule hinted that the Rivers State House Assembly is yet to receive the State's Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2024 Appropriation Bill; and when put to vote, the House unanimously agreed to write to the Governor, Sir 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.