Politics
Tension In Rivers As 7-Day Budget Ultimatum Reaches Deadline
Uncertainty has once again gripped the political landscape in Rivers State, as the 7-day ultimatum by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly for Governor Siminalayi Fubara to resubmit the 2024 budget reaches its deadline this week.
The ultimatum, issued on July 8, will expire today if weekends are counted, or on Wednesday if they are excluded.
The Assembly’s order came after a motion by Dumle Maol, the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary.
Maol, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly, urged the House to formally notify the governor to present the budget in light of a recent court ruling, which they believe affirmed their membership and validated Amaewhule’s leadership.
The re-presentation of the budget was a key element of the presidential peace pact in December, aimed at resolving the political crisis in the South-South state.
Previously, Governor Fubara had submitted the ₦800bn budget to the Assembly led by Edison Ehie who now serves as the Governor’s Chief of Staff.
The faction of the Assembly is now led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The budget, which was passed and signed into law, is still being implemented, suggesting that the peace agreement has faltered.
Last week, Governor Fubara announced that his administration is already preparing the 2025 budget, indicating that the demand for the re-presentation of the 2024 budget is unrealistic.
The crisis in Rivers State, which began about eight months ago, has continued to evolve.
It started with a fire at the State House of Assembly in October, followed by an attempted impeachment of Fubara, massive resignations from the executive cabinet, and unrest over local government administration. This phase culminated in a failed attack on the Presidential Hotel.
With the deadline for the 2024 budget presentation set for this week, the political climate in the state appears tense, as the assembly and the governor navigate the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, Chijioke Ihunwo, a pro-Fubara politician from the same community as Amaewhule, has dismissed the 7-day ultimatum on the governor as laughable.
Ihunwo, who was appointed by the governor as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, urged Amaewhule to accept his fate as a former assembly member, after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
He encouraged the people of Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality, comprising Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, and Emohua Local Government Areas, to continue supporting the Governor under the leadership of former Senator John Azuta-Mbata.
The politician, who was criticised for appointing 100 aides last week, said the decision which other CTC Chairmen are also implementing is aimed at bringing local government administration closer to the grassroots.
He announced that more appointments would be made in the coming days, to demonstrate that the Fubara-led government is inclusive.
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Amaechi completed his registration at Ward 8 in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Friday morning.
Ekwutosblog had reported that thugs earlier stormed the ADC’s office in the community and set it ablaze.
Speaking to supporters after his registration, Amaechi appealed for calm, urging his loyalists to resist any temptation toward reprisal or disorder.
“Don’t be violent because violence may lead to the death of somebody — don’t be violent. At the same time, they can’t stop us from meeting in our community,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor expressed satisfaction with the conduct of security operatives deployed to the area, singling out the state commissioner of police and the director of the Department of State Services for praise.
Amaechi equally called on security agencies to move swiftly to identify and prosecute those behind the arson, warning that such acts of intimidation would not deter the party’s activities in the area.
Trump also indicated that he would reject any successor who continues the policies associated with the late Iranian leader.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has said he must take part in determining who becomes Iran’s next supreme leader following the death of Ali Khamenei.
Trump made the statement during an interview with Axios on Thursday while reacting to discussions within Iran over possible successors to the late leader.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” he said.
The US president was referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power in Venezuela after US forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
Trump also indicated that he would reject any successor who continues the policies associated with the late Iranian leader.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he stated.
He warned that installing a leader who follows the same path as the former supreme leader could force the United States back into war with Iran “in five years.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric believed to have strong ties with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, is widely considered one of the possible successors to his father, although Tehran has yet to formally announce a new leader.
Trump’s remarks came a day after the White House suggested that regime change in Iran was not the main objective of the administration’s ongoing military campaign in the region.
Iran’s Supreme Leader serves as the country’s highest political and religious authority and holds significant influence over the armed forces, judiciary and major state policies.
The leadership uncertainty follows the death of Ali Khamenei, who was killed in late February during a wave of joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian military and government targets.
The attacks formed part of a major military campaign launched amid escalating tensions over Iran’s regional activities and nuclear programme.
The strikes reportedly targeted several strategic facilities in Tehran and other locations, triggering a wider conflict across the Middle-East.
Iran later responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US-linked targets across the region, raising fears of a broader regional war and disrupting energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, had not publicly named a successor before his death.
His killing created a power vacuum in Tehran, prompting speculation over who might lead the country next as the conflict continues.
Success Opara has extended heartfelt congratulations to Hon Onyekachi Ibezim on his emergence as the State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.
Onyedebelu Austin was elected as the new State Chairman, while Ibezim secured the position of State Secretary during the party’s congress in Owerri.
Governor Hope Uzodimma praised the new leadership, emphasizing the importance of unity and adherence to the party’s constitution.
The emergence of Hon Onyekachi Ibezim as APC State Secretary is seen as a boost to the party’s efforts to revamp and reposition itself in Imo State. With Success Opara’s congratulatory message, it’s clear there’s a sense of unity and camaraderie within the party ranks.
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