The passage of the Rivers State 2026 Appropriation Bill has reportedly been delayed by fresh agreements reached between members of the State House of Assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The development, according to a report by The Nation, followed negotiations between the governor and the lawmakers ahead of the presentation of the budget, which was submitted about a month ago.
A source within the Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agreements were part of efforts to resolve the lingering political crisis between the governor and the lawmakers and secure their approval for the budget’s presentation.
The source alleged that the governor had yet to fully honour his commitments under the agreement, choosing instead to fulfil them gradually.
The source said some of the outstanding issues reportedly concern the lawmakers’ benefits and entitlements, particularly funding for constituency projects.
According to the source, the lawmakers believe the governor had agreed to settle outstanding obligations but had failed to fully implement the agreement since assuming office.
The source further attributed the delay in passing the budget to a lack of trust between the governor and the lawmakers, allegedly arising from previous promises and agreements that were not fully honoured.
The source said the lawmakers now want the governor to fulfil his part of the latest agreement before approving the budget, expressing concern that they may not receive the promised benefits once the appropriation bill is passed.
The source stressed that the lawmakers’ demands were part of an agreement voluntarily reached with the governor and were not requests made outside the terms of their negotiations.
