A fresh allegation has emerged amid the impeachment tension in Rivers State, as an aide to Governor Siminalayi Fubara claimed that lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly received N350 million each for constituency projects.
The allegation was made by Darlington Orji, a Special Adviser to the governor, during a television interview on Friday.
He spoke while addressing issues surrounding budget approvals and the growing rift between the executive arm and the state legislature.
Orji said the claim by some lawmakers that certain payments were not properly appropriated did not align with past actions taken by the Assembly members. He argued that the same lawmakers had earlier collected much larger sums without raising similar concerns.
According to him, lawmakers were each given N350 million for constituency projects. He questioned why no objections were raised at the time, especially regarding appropriation procedures.
The governor’s aide also spoke on a N100,000 payment made in December. He explained that the money was paid to civil servants as an end-of-year appreciation. He added that members of the House of Assembly were also extended the same gesture.
However, Orji revealed that some lawmakers rejected the N100,000 payment. He said the reason given was that the money was not captured in the appropriation process.
He described the rejection as questionable. He argued that it was inconsistent for lawmakers to reject a smaller amount on appropriation grounds after accepting a much larger sum earlier.
While speaking, Orji insisted he would not make false claims. He maintained that his statements were based on facts known to him.
He also addressed issues surrounding the budget process. He explained that several adjustments usually take place before a budget is finalized and passed into law.
Orji stated that a presentation was expected from the lawmakers concerning certain interests. He said this presentation did not happen because the governor did not agree with their position.
He further noted that the exact figures being disputed could not be confirmed at the moment due to the absence of the presentation. Despite this, he maintained that the December payments were clear and straightforward.