…We’re Expecting N650 million Balance – Lawmaker

A controversial N350 million released to each member of the Rivers State House of Assembly for constituency projects by the then sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has sparked outrage in the state, temporarily slowing down the lawmakers’ move to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The outrage follows findings that Ibas, who administered the state for six months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu and the Assembly, gave the lawmakers the money while they were under suspension, like Fubara.

The Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Darlington Orji, made the allegation that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly received N350 million each for constituency projects, despite claims by some lawmakers that certain payments to them were not appropriated.

Orji also mentioned the N100,000 payment the Fubara administration made in December to civil servants as an end-of-year appreciation, and equally extended to members of the House of Assembly.

Amid the ongoing face-off between the governor and the state legislature, some of the lawmakers rejected the N100, 000 on the grounds that it was not appropriated, an argument that has angered some stakeholders, who have asked if the N350 million constituency fund was appropriated.

The allegation and the absence of a denial or dismissal by the lawmakers have fuelled condemnation, with some stakeholders accusing the lawmakers of launching an impeachment process for selfish reasons.

Rivers residents, who flooded the social media with reactions, said there was absolutely no need for the lawmakers to proceed with the impeachment, with some warning that a continuation could cause a bigger crisis in the state.

Although the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly has vowed to continue with the impeachment process, since Oji made the allegation a few days ago, the lawmakers have been quiet.

Meanwhile, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Etche Constituency I, Hon. Ignatius Obenachi Onwuka, has said that Assembly members expected N1 billion for constituency projects, but ended up getting ₦350 million.

Onwuka, who disclosed this during a ward meeting with his constituents, confirmed that the lawmakers indeed received N350 million each, as an initial tranche.

He alleged that the remaining ₦650 million was expected to be released by the Rivers State Government upon the Governor’s resumption after the state of emergency, but that this has not happened.

He accused the governor of failing to release the N650 million balance for the Assembly members to use in fully executing their Constituency projects, despite the state having over ₦600 billion at its disposal.

He said that the Governor’s refusal to release the balance has contributed to stalling several projects, including his own in Etche Constituency I.

The lawmaker noted that the funding shortfall remains one of the major reasons they (lawmakers), impeachment move, which he described as a collective decision taken by the Assembly leadership.

“As it stands now, my constituency project is stalled because the ₦350 million cannot successfully cover the scope of work,” he added.