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Lawmakers blocked me from presenting 2025 budget – Fubara
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has accused lawmakers of denying him access to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill at the Assembly Quarters, despite officially notifying the House leadership of his readiness to do so.
Fubara made the disclosure on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Bori Zonal Hospital in Khana Local Government Area.
The governor lamented that, in line with the Supreme Court judgment, all stakeholders should prioritize safeguarding the state’s economy and ensuring that civil servants do not suffer unnecessary hardship.
He said, “I made frantic efforts to reach the Speaker, which I believe he cannot deny, alongside other members of the Assembly.
“I even sent WhatsApp messages to them, notifying them that I would be coming at 10 am to present the budget. This was to ensure that Rivers State does not face any crisis because of me, as some have alleged.
“But unfortunately, when we got there this morning, we were denied access. And the next thing I heard was that no communication was made. I leave everything to God, who sees all things in secret.”
The governor insisted that he followed due process to resolve the situation and expressed hope that the lawmakers would eventually comply with the Supreme Court ruling.
He stated, “I am aware of reports in the media claiming there was no communication or effort on my part. So, I am using this platform to clarify the situation.
“Like I have always said, nothing lasts forever. Even the greatest power eventually comes to an end. What matters is how we use power. I have chosen not to abuse mine, no matter what they claim.
“When power is abused, it leads to situations like this. But I will remain restrained because I know that there is life after power.”
Speaking on the newly inaugurated Bori Zonal Hospital, Fubara described the project as a fulfilment of his administration’s ‘Rivers First’ agenda, particularly in the healthcare sector.
He reiterated his government’s commitment to improving healthcare services, education, agriculture, and security in the state.
The governor noted that the project was initially started during the administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi and inherited by his predecessor but was never completed.
He added, “When we came on board, we saw the need to ensure that all Zonal Hospitals—not just Bori, but also Etche, Ahoada, Omoku, and Degema—are completed.
“The essence of these secondary healthcare facilities is to ease the pressure on teaching hospitals. Many of our people struggle to get medical care at tertiary hospitals.
“If the Zonal Hospitals are properly equipped, there will be less congestion at the teaching hospitals. That is why we didn’t just renovate this facility; we expanded it and ensured it met the standards of a modern healthcare centre. Today, to the glory of God, all these facilities are in place.”
Fubara, emphasising the importance of public health, directed the Commissioner for Health to immediately open the facility for public use.
Providing an overview of the project, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, described the Bori Zonal Hospital as a 105-bed secondary healthcare centre designed to deliver world-class medical services to residents.
“This hospital, located in Bori, Khana LGA, is a three-story building with additional facilities, including a laundry, mortuary, staff quarters for 24 health personnel, and a parking space for 50 vehicles,” she said.
She added that health facility attendance in Rivers South-East had increased by nearly 60 per cent—from 589,000 patients in 2022 to almost 1,000,000 by 2024—due to the governor’s investment in healthcare.
“The hospital is equipped to handle referrals for surgical cases, high-risk pregnancies, trauma, critical healthcare conditions, newborn injuries, and mental health services for residents of Ogoniland and the Rivers South-East Senatorial District,” she said.
The Head of Local Government Administration, Khana LGA, Helen Chiorlu, commended Fubara for delivering a hospital that would significantly enhance healthcare services in the region.
President Bola Tinubu has restated that his government is committed to addressing the country’s main problems, including economic difficulties, power shortages and safety issues.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tinubu stated that his government is still focused on policies aimed at helping the poorest and most at-risk Nigerians.
He said: “We won’t stop moving forward, and we’ll keep looking for ways to help those who are struggling.
“This is a government that really cares.”
He noted that having steady power supply is very important for development, stressing that industrial growth and learning new skills mostly rely on having dependable electricity.
“You can’t have industrial growth, learning new skills, or people gaining strength without having enough power.
“I promise Nigerians that we will provide electricity to support our country’s development,” he said.
The president also thanked Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for the way he leads the state.
“Diri has shown the strength of leading with a clear purpose, and I am here today making a promise that the challenges we face, along with the legacy of those who led this country, including the battles and difficulties of ensuring security, will be met with hard work to properly equip and train our men and women in the Armed Forces. We will defeat terrorism and banditry.”
The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Dr Peter Chukwu is dead.
A source said the Bishop died where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Meanwhile, a social media influencer, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, in a post on his Facebook page, mourned the demise of the Bishop.
He wrote, “A very bad one for us in Ebonyi State. The loss of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter Chukwu is a terrible loss.
“This loss is huge. God knows why, but it’s painful losing him in his 50s. A refined man and Associate Professor. This loss is beyond Ezza’s loss. It’s well. We can’t take war to God’s place. Kidney transplant issue. NCN.”
The authorities of the Catholic Church is expected to issue an official statement announcing the demise of the Bishop.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years’ imprisonment for aiding terrorism through the sale of petroleum products to insurgents.
The trial judge, Peter Lifu, convicted Habeeb on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed by the Federal Government.
Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had pleaded guilty to the charge upon arraignment, admitting that he sold fuel to members of the Boko Haram operating in the North-East.
The convict, however, claimed that the transactions might have been carried out by attendants at his filling station.
During the proceedings, Habeeb appealed for leniency, kneeling in the dock as he urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He told the court that he had two wives and six children and had been in detention for over 10 years without contact with his family.
Counsel to the Federal Government, David Kaswe, opposed the plea, arguing that the support provided to the terrorist group had serious consequences.
Kaswe submitted that the supply of fuel enabled the insurgents to power motorcycles used in attacks, leading to loss of lives and displacement of communities.
He urged the court to impose a stiffer penalty, noting that although the defendant had spent over a decade in custody, a 20-year sentence would be appropriate.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that there was no evidence establishing that the defendant was a member of Boko Haram or had undergone weapons training.
He, however, ruled that the admission of selling fuel to the insurgents was sufficient to sustain the charge of aiding terrorism.
The judge also noted that the prosecution did not challenge the defendant’s claim of prolonged detention.
Justice Lifu consequently sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment.
He ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of the convict’s arrest and detention.
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