The burgeoning political crisis in Rivers State has taken a sharp turn following allegations by the State Government that members of the House of Assembly accepted ₦350 million for “constituency projects” from the former Sole Administrator, Ibok Ibas, funds which the executive claims were never legally appropriated.
The accusations, levelled by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, the Honourable Darlington Orji, come in the wake of the Assembly’s recent rejection of a proposed ₦100,000 support package for civil servants. The lawmakers had dismissed the Governor’s welfare initiative on the grounds of “illegal spending,” citing a lack of prior appropriation.
Appearing on Arise News on Thursday, Hon. Orji described the lawmakers’ stance as profoundly hypocritical. He asserted that the same legislative body now citing fiscal discipline had previously received substantial sums and high-end Range Rover vehicles from the former Sole Administrator without raising any constitutional or budgetary objections.
“The lawmakers are acting out a script authored by external interests,” Hon. Orji stated. He further alleged that certain members of the Assembly are privately “unhappy” with the roles they are being compelled to play in the ongoing friction between the executive and the legislature.
The dispute highlights the deepening rift within the state’s governance structure. While Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration seeks to frame the civil servant support package as a necessary intervention for the workforce, the Assembly continues to challenge the Governor’s fiscal authority, accusing him of bypassing the legislative “power of the purse.”
Orji’s counter-allegation suggests that the Assembly’s adherence to appropriation laws is selective and politically motivated. “If they are so concerned with appropriation, why did they not reject unappropriated gifts and hundreds of millions in constituency funds from the former administrator?” he questioned.
At the time of this report, the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly has not issued a formal rebuttal to the specific claims regarding the ₦350 million payment or the receipt of luxury vehicles.
The escalating war of words continues to cast a shadow over the stability of the state, as citizens await a resolution that prioritises the welfare of the public over the prevailing political hostilities.
