The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday resumed plenary for the first time in more than three months and formally received the state’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) from Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The fiscal document was presented during an emergency sitting held at the Assembly’s legislative complex along Aba Road in Port Harcourt. Speaker Martin Amaewhule read the governor’s correspondence accompanying the framework during the session.
The sitting ended a prolonged period without plenary activities in the House, a development that had generated concerns among stakeholders over legislative oversight and the state’s budget preparation process.
Lawmakers last convened in March when they screened commissioner nominees submitted by Fubara. Four of the nominees, however, failed to secure legislative approval.
Before then, the Assembly had met on January 8, during which members initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor amid the political tensions that gripped the state.
The lawmakers subsequently adjourned and did not return on the previously announced resumption date of January 15.
Although the purpose of Thursday’s emergency meeting was not disclosed beforehand, political observers had anticipated that discussions would centre on budget-related matters.
The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework serves as a key component of the government’s budgeting process, providing projections for revenue and spending over a three-year period and laying the foundation for annual budget proposals.
Despite formally receiving the document, the House did not debate its contents during the sitting. Instead, lawmakers postponed consideration of the framework to a later date, which was not announced before the plenary ended.
