A former Rivers State lawmaker, Matthew Dike, has condemned the state’s House of Assembly for stopping Governor Siminalayi Fubara from presenting the state budget. He called their actions hypocritical, pointing out that they were eager to receive the budget but later prevented its presentation.

Dike, who previously served as the chairman of Tai Local Government Area, said this would not have happened if Governor Fubara had acted like former governor Nyesom Wike. He recalled how lawmakers were completely obedient to Wike’s demands.

He shared his experience as a legislator, stating that during his eight years in the Assembly, Wike would call lawmakers at any time—sometimes even at midnight—and they would respond immediately. At the time, Martin Amaewhule was the House Leader, and no one questioned Wike’s orders.

Dike criticized the current Assembly, now led by Amaewhule as Speaker, for making excuses about short notice or avoiding official notifications just to claim they were not informed. He argued that their actions do not only harm the governor but also damage the image of Rivers State.

He further stated that the lawmakers’ refusal to receive the budget while issuing ultimatums makes them look unreliable. Instead of embarrassing the governor, their behavior exposes their lack of understanding of governance and law.

According to Dike, their actions show they are not thinking independently, which is harmful to the progress of Rivers State.