Rivers Speaker Criticizes Governor Over Late Budget Framework

Rivers State Speaker Martin Amaewhule criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the late submission of the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Amaewhule stated that the document was presented far behind the timeline required by law, which mandates that the MTEF should be submitted earlier in the year.

He emphasized that the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law requires the MTEF to be laid before the House by September, four months before the start of the next fiscal year. Despite the delay, the Rivers State House of Assembly decided to approve the MTEF to prevent further setbacks in the budget process.

The approval occurred on a Friday, just 24 hours after the document was presented. Amaewhule noted that the governor's failure to comply with the legal timeline resulted in a significant delay in the budget planning process, which is critical as the year is already half gone.