Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has signed the state’s 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, describing the development as a “breath of fresh air” and the beginning of a new phase of cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Governor Fubara signed the bill on Thursday at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, shortly after the Rivers State House of Assembly unanimously approved the appropriation during its resumed sitting.
The bill was passed by all 26 lawmakers present and was subsequently transmitted to the governor for assent.
The approval brings an end to the prolonged delay in the consideration and passage of the state’s 2026 budget, which had been presented by the governor earlier in the year.
The budget, christened the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development”, is expected to cover the fiscal year ending on September 2, 2027.
Fubara expressed optimism that the appropriation would usher in a new era of development and closer cooperation between the two arms of government.
The governor said his administration remained committed to the progress and development of Rivers State, while assuring the House of Assembly of a cordial and productive working relationship.
He described the signing as the beginning of a “healthy relationship” between the executive and legislative arms of government and thanked God for making the occasion possible.
Fubara also acknowledged the role played by former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in facilitating the meetings and engagements that eventually led to the passage and signing of the budget.
The Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Major Jack, described the appropriation as an ambitious budget, saying lawmakers had subjected the estimates to thorough scrutiny with the best interests of the state in mind.
Jack expressed the hope that the implementation of the budget would deliver the desired growth and development across Rivers State.
However, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, disclosed that lawmakers did not approve the budget exactly as presented by the governor.
He said the Assembly reviewed downward the proposed ₦6 billion allocation to PAMO University of Medical Sciences, a private university where Rivers indigenes have benefited from government-funded scholarships since the previous administration.
According to Amaewhule, part of the allocation was subsequently reassigned to the State Primary Healthcare Development Board.
The Speaker said the decision followed the failure of the university’s management to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the utilisation of previous funds allocated to the institution, as well as its failure to appear before the Assembly through its representatives.
Amaewhule said the adjustment was consistent with the Assembly’s oversight responsibility and was intended to promote accountability, transparency and prudent management of public resources.
The governor had presented a fiscal estimate of ₦1,854,248,734,475.76 for the 2026 financial year, representing a 24.5 per cent increase over the revised 2025 budget figures.
The passage and signing of the appropriation bill mark a significant development in the relationship between the Rivers State Executive and Legislature, following months of political tensions and delays surrounding the consideration of the state’s budget.
The implementation of the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development” is now expected to focus attention on the delivery of government programmes and projects as the state enters a new phase of executive-legislative cooperation.
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