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Budget: We’re yet to see Fubara’s letter -Rivers lawmakers
Rivers State House of Assembly has said Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s letter on 2025 budget has not been sighted.
Fubara was accused of frustrating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgement especially the aspect requiring him to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the lawmakers.
In line with the principles of horizontal separation of powers as expressed in Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information and Spokesperson of the House, Dr. Enemi Alabo George, who spoke on Sunday in Port Harcourt, challenged the governor to produce the acknowledged copy of the letter he said he sent to the House.
George said: ” Last week, we were told that on his way to Ogoni for a programme, the governor made a stopover at the gate of the House of Assembly Quarters to grant an interview to the press.
“In that interview, he claimed that he had sent a letter to the House of Assembly indicating his intention to visit and present the appropriation bill, a claim we found rather astonishing as no such letter was received by the House of Assembly.
“His aides later alleged that they forwarded a letter through whatsapp to some members of the House, which was also awkward, unprofessional and embarrassing.
“As I speak, the social media space is awash with stories about a purported letter from the Governor to the House of Assembly expressing his intention to visit the house to present the appropriation bill for the year 2025.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth. We want to state categorically that there is no such letter before the House of Assembly nor any of its staff. We challenge the Governor and his aides to produce an acknowledgement copy of such a letter or any evidence that such a letter was sent or received by the House of Assembly. It is absolutely untrue and unfortunate. The general public must as a matter of importance ignore such claim.
“It is now very obvious that if at all there was such a letter, the intended recipient was not the legislature, but the public, and the clear intention was to play to the gallery, whip up public sentiment, demonize the House of Assembly and set the public against us. This is demeaning, denigrating and perilously unfortunate.”
“It is in responding to the attitude that the supreme court said in its judgement:
‘A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of the state under the 1999 constitution. In this case, the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him govern without the legislature as a despot.
As it is, there is no Government in Rivers State’.”
George said the House had hoped that such strong words from the Supreme Court would help “purge the governor of such despotic ways”.
He said as an Assembly, the lawmakers were severely solicitous of progress of the state adding that one man should not be allowed to hold everybody in the state to ransom because of his ego.
George called on everybody to collectively call on the governor to do the right thing in the right and lawful way to allow the state make progress.
He said the Assembly was the worst hit in the ongoing crisis lamenting that the lawmakers had suffered untold hardship insisting that the governor must be stopped from extending such punishment to Rivers people.
George said: “This Assembly has borne the brunt of this crisis. We have endured immense hardship.
We have been battered almost beyond our carrying capacity. We have been punished unduly and unfairly for trying to perform our constitutional duties. Our governor must not extend this punishment to Rivers people. No, please no. We must not allow it.
“We have seen hell:
Our hallowed chamber was burnt down by the governor. The House of Assembly Complex was brought down by the Governor, totally demolished alongside our personal effect and belongings…
Our Speaker’s residence was brutally attacked. Our residential quarters was brutally invaded by the governor
“Our allowances have been seized for about a year and six months. we still continue to suffer. Yet we have resolved to put all of these behind us in the interest of our state, so that our state can move forward. We cannot afford to punish our people because of our ego and personal interests.
“We have our aged pensioners who must receive their pensions. We have our teachers in public schools who we depend on for our children to be educated, they must be paid their salaries. We have government hospitals and health centers which our people depend on for discounted and affordable medical services.
“We have public schools which depend on public funds for their daily running.
The governor is toying with the lives and livelihoods of Rivers people. Let us please all call on him to do the right thing in the interest of our dear state and its people”.
The Kwara State Government has announced the immediate revocation of all signage and billboard licences issued in 2024 with enforcement actions set to begin next week.
The government also warned that identification and removal of unauthorised billboards would commence shortly.
The announcement was made in a statement released on Sunday by the Chairman of the Kwara State Task Force Committee on Illegal Billboards and Signages, Bolanle Olukoju.
Olukoju, who is also Commissioner for Communications, explained that the revocation was in line with a previous notification suspending all billboard licences in the state.
He said the move aimed to facilitate the removal of unauthorised and improperly erected billboards, posters, and light pole banners throughout Ilorin and other urban centers.
“This initiative aligns with the Urban Renewal Programme of the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration, which seeks to transform Kwara into a modern and visually appealing state,” he said.
The government also confirmed that no new registrations or renewals of signage and billboard licences would be processed until further notice.
The temporary measure, the statement added, will allow the state to finalise a new regulatory framework for outdoor advertising.
The statement further emphasised that identification of non-compliant billboards is already underway, and owners of unregistered billboards are urged to remove them immediately.
The Federal Government has unveiled requirements for civil servants seeking to migrate their salaries, change their names and their next-of-kin among others.
This was revealed in a memo by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation dated March 12,2025 and addressed to all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The memo said the government had observed that civil servants effecting the changes on their names and next-of-kins do not submit the necessary documents needed to effect such changes, hence the need for the memo.
“Further to the Circular Ref. HCSF/PS/CMO/IPPIS/I/VOL.I/508 dated 1st November, 2022 on the above subject, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has observed that some Ministries, Departments and Agencies do not attach the required documents which would facilitate granting approvals for migration of saiary, change/correction of names, gender and next-of-kin within the shortest possible time.
“MDAs should therefore, note and be guided by the following Standard Operating Procedures for requests on changes/corrections on HR records of employees on the IPPIS Platform:
With the implementation of the Human Resource component of the IPPIS in the Federal Public Service, it has become necessary to take note and be guided by the above requirements.
“Kindly note that requests that are forwarded to the Office of the Head of the Civil service of the Federation without specific documents will not be processed for approval. Please bring the content of this Circular to all concerned for strict compliance,” the memo read.
Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed support for a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps member, Ushie Uguamaye, also known as Raye, who claimed to have received threats after her viral video criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, Atiku praised Raye’s courage, describing her as a symbol of a new generation of politically engaged women committed to advocacy and democratic participation.
“Raye embodies the spirit of a new generation of women who champion the ideals of popular participation and unwavering advocacy in the political sphere.
“I deeply admire her boldness and wisdom—her fearless resolve to speak truth to power, undeterred by the weight of opposition,” Atiku wrote.
The former presidential candidate likened Raye to historic female activists such as Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti, and Margaret Ekpo, who played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Atiku called for support rather than hostility towards Raye.
“Rather than being met with hostility, Raye deserves encouragement and support. She is a shining emblem of the Nigerian youth—a testament to the long-held promise that the leaders of tomorrow are already among us, ready to shape a better future,” Atiku said.
Raye, a corps member serving in Lagos, recently made headlines after a video she posted criticising government policies went viral.
She later claimed to have faced threats, reportedly from NYSC officials, pressuring her to take down the video.
In the video posted on her TikTok account #talktoraye on Saturday, Raye voiced frustration over Nigeria’s deteriorating economic situation, lamenting that hard work no longer guarantees financial stability.
She criticised Tinubu’s leadership, calling him a “terrible leader,” and questioned the government’s commitment to easing citizens’ hardships.
Authorities have yet to comment on her allegations.
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