Rivers State drifting to anarchy – Nwanosike

By Ibrahim Bakare

Arising from the faceoff between Martins Amawhule led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the governor of the state, Sir Sim Fubara, erstwhile chairman of Ikwerre local area, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, says the state is drifting towards financial anarchy as the government is currently spending public funds without a validly passed appropriation law.

Nwanosike maintained that the governor’s spending of public funds without an approved appropriation bill lacks legal backing for how taxpayers’ money is being spent.

He averred that every expenditure made by the Fubara-led government is illegal and unconstitutional and that contractors, civil servants, and government workers are operating in a financial uncertainty.

In a chat with our Correspondent in Port Harcourt, Friday, the former chairman stated that Governor Fubara has thrown the state into financial anarchy by disregarding the law providing for budgeting and allocation of expenditures. In this, he contend “the future of Rivers State is at risk;

“This is misgovernance at its peak and I want to draw the attention of the President of Nigeria, the National Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and all security agencies to the escalating issues in Rivers State for the Federal government to take immediate steps to prevent a total breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.”

Nwanosike who is having his own battle with the state government over some discrepancies in the five-storey building he erected in the state capital, said the Federal government’s intervention would ensure the full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling, recognizing the Amaewhule-led Assembly as the legitimate legislature of Rivers State.

He also called on the Federal government to Investigate and prosecute those responsible for the destruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, deploy security personnel to protect lawmakers and prevent further attempts to silence the legislature.

He also recommended that Governor Fubara be put under strict surveillance to prevent any further acts of incitement or constitutional violations.

He said an audit of all financial expenditures made by the Fubara administration without a legally passed budget should be carried out, and that those involved should be held accountable.