PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria β€” The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Right Honorable Martin Amaewhule, has strongly criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for submitting the state’s 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework nine months behind the statutory deadline. Despite the prolonged delay, the legislative house chose to approve the strategic spending document during Friday’s plenary session, citing the overarching socio-economic interests of the people of Rivers State. The approval came exactly 24 hours after the fiscal framework was officially transmitted to the chamber and read on the floor of the House, clearing the path for the presentation of the state's full 2026 Appropriation Bill. A Glaring Breach of the Fiscal Responsibility Law In an official statement released by the Speaker’s Media Aide, Martins Wachukwu, Amaewhule pointed out that the executive's delayed submission constituted a clear violation of existing financial regulations governing public expenditure. The legislative high command highlighted Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, which explicitly mandates that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework must be laid before the House in September 2025β€”at least four months prior to the commencement of the next financial year. By withholding the document until late June 2026, when the current fiscal year is already half gone, the executive severely compressed the timeline required for thorough legislative planning and oversight. Putting the State’s Economy First Explaining why the lawmakers opted to process the document despite the constitutional pushback, Amaewhule stated that an absolute rejection would have completely paralyzed governance and critical public works across the state. But in the interest of the state, the House deemed it expedient to consider the document, which is a precursor to the State's 2026 Budget Estimate, the Speaker remarked. Before putting the approval to a definitive vote, the lawmakers conducted an intensive review of the economic assumptions, revenue targets, and deficit projections contained within the framework. Following the debate, the chamber concluded that the underlying financial parameters, if strictly implemented by ministries and departments, could serve the immediate developmental interests of Rivers residents. Reconvening After Months of Inactivity The dramatic consideration of the fiscal framework marked a significant return to governance for the 10th Assembly, which had been locked in months of political gridlock and institutional inertia. Prior to this week's emergency sessions, the Assembly last met in February 2026 to screen a batch of commissioner nominees forwarded by the executive, before adjourning indefinitely amidst deep-seated political tensions within the state's leadership. The sudden reconvening and the subsequent swift approval of the framework have allayed growing public anxieties regarding a total collapse of fiscal planning and budgetary legalities in the state. Addressing Localized Security Concerns Beyond the immediate fiscal debate, the House also pivoted to critical security challenges within the local government structures. During Friday's sitting, the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Honorable Emilia Amadi, formally presented a petition from the Chairman of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu. The petition raised an urgent alarm over an imminent security breach, direct threats to human lives, and the deliberate destruction of private property by certain criminal elements attempting a forceful takeover of public assets within the local council area. Receiving the petition, the Speaker directed the relevant house committees to look into the matter, urging security agencies to step up community policing measures to protect vulnerable border settlements.