Fubara Submits 2026–2028 Fiscal Framework to Rivers Assembly as Lawmakers Resume After Months of Inactivity

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally transmitted the state’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the Rivers State House of Assembly for legislative consideration and approval.

The submission was announced during an emergency plenary session held on Thursday, marking the first sitting of the Assembly in more than three months.

Speaker of the House, Martin Chike Amaewhule, informed lawmakers of the development by reading a letter from Governor Fubara, in which the governor requested the Assembly’s consideration of the three-year fiscal planning document.

The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework serves as a critical budgetary instrument that outlines the government’s projected revenue, expenditure plans, and fiscal priorities over a multi-year period. It provides the foundation upon which annual budgets are prepared and implemented.

Thursday’s plenary session represented a significant moment for the Assembly, which had not convened since its last sitting several months ago. The previous meeting was devoted to the screening and confirmation process for commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Fubara.

Prior to that, the House had met on January 8, when lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor amid the prolonged political crisis that has shaped relations between the executive and legislative arms of government in the state.

Following that session, the Assembly adjourned and failed to reconvene on its scheduled resumption date of January 15, resulting in a prolonged period of legislative inactivity.

The emergency plenary therefore marked the lawmakers’ return to formal legislative business after months of political uncertainty and inactivity.

Despite receiving the governor’s fiscal framework, members of the House did not immediately commence deliberations on the document. Instead, lawmakers resolved to postpone discussions on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to a later date.

No specific date was announced for the commencement of debates or consideration of the proposal.

Political observers view the transmission of the MTEF as an important step in the state’s budget preparation process, as approval of the framework is necessary before the presentation and passage of subsequent annual budgets covering the period under review.

The development is also being closely monitored in light of the evolving relationship between Governor Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly, which has experienced significant political tensions over the past year.

Stakeholders will now await further legislative action on the framework as the state government seeks to advance its fiscal planning agenda for the 2026 to 2028 period.