Rivers State Government has dismissed reports suggesting disagreement between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the House of Assembly over the state’s 2026 Appropriation Bill.
The government, in a statement signed yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, said the governor was working closely with the lawmakers in the interest of the people of the state.
The statement was issued in reaction to reports that the executive and legislative arms of government were at loggerheads over the 2026 budget.
There were indications that fresh disagreement between House of Assembly members and Governor Fubara was the reason behind the delay in the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, a month after its presentation.
It was gathered that the lawmakers reached some undisclosed agreements with the governor before they allowed for the late presentation of the appropriation bill.
Fubara on June 10, about two months ago, presented his N1.854tn 2026 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly amid complaints by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, that the presentation was done behind schedule.
Fubara presented the fiscal documents after the expiration of the budget approved for the Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the closure of the six-month grace window allowed by the constitution.
Most stakeholders were said to be disappointed that the bill they had expected the lawmakers to expeditiously consider and pass to arrest looming constitutional crisis had been delayed for over a month.
A source from the Assembly, who spoke in confidence, insisted that fresh disagreements between Fubara and the lawmakers were the reason for the delay.
But the government in a statement said: ‘We wish to make it abundantly clear that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not at loggerheads with members of the House of Assembly, but rather working closely with them to serve the good people of Rivers State.’
It explained that the N1.854trn 2026 Budget proposal presented by Fubara to the Assembly was currently undergoing the normal legislative process.
‘The 2026 Budget proposal has been presented to the House of Assembly; it is going through the normal legislative process and we strongly believe that once the process is completed, it will be passed by the lawmakers,’ the statement said.
The government appealed to political actors and other stakeholders to avoid narratives capable of reopening political wounds in the state.
‘The Rivers State Government has gone through difficult times in the past and is not prepared to be dragged into another round of controversies’, it said.
It urged those promoting what it described as negative narratives to desist, stressing that peace and harmony were necessary for the continued development of the state.
‘We therefore advise all those bent on promoting negative narratives to desist from such actions forthwith as we need peace and harmony to ensure steady development of Rivers State,’ the government said.