Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has lambasted Governor Siminalayi Fubara for allegedly delaying the submission of the state’s 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, or MTEF.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Martins Wachukwu, the Speaker stated that the document was presented much after the deadline set by law.
According to him, the budget framework should have been submitted far earlier in accordance with the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, but it was only delivered when the year was already well underway.
On Thursday, Fubara submitted the 2026-2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, or MTEF, to the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Despite the delay, the Speaker noted that the Assembly had opted to adopt the document in the best interests of the state and to avoid further delays in the budget process.
The Rivers Assembly approved the budget framework in plenary on Friday, less than 24 hours after it was submitted and read to MPs.
Amaewhule stated that Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010 clearly states that the MTEF must be presented to the House in September, four months before the commencement of the following fiscal year.
The Speaker went on to say that Governor Fubara did not follow the legal timeframe, causing a significant delay in the budget planning process.
“The presentation was late. However, in the interest of the state, the House judged it appropriate to evaluate the document, which is a prelude to the State’s 2026 Budget Estimate, even though the year is already half over,” he said.