Amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Peter Medee, has defended the state’s 2024 budget from recent political disputes, asserting that targeting the budget is misguided and harmful to the state’s economy.
“If anybody has political issues or any political disagreement in the state, I think targeting the budget is a wrong target,” Medee said in an interview with Arise News from 6:50. He emphasized that the budget is “about the economy of Rivers State, not the politics of Rivers State.”
This comes as the Martin Amaewhule faction within the Rivers State House of Assembly, marked by recent defections and legal actions, continue to clash over the budget’s approval. Following a court ruling that invalidated the budget’s passage due to irregularities in the legislative process, Medee argued that targeting the budget due to political grievances is detrimental, especially given its intended impact on infrastructure, health, and education in the state.
The budget, which totals N800 billion, was designed to address key infrastructural projects and economic growth in Rivers. Medee pointed out that the budget process is already in progress, with allocations for the first three quarters of the fiscal year implemented and uploaded. “To the people who are aggrieved or to the people who defected and now feel they did not defect…targeting the budget is a mistake,” he said, describing their efforts as “daydreaming.”
The commissioner stressed that the ongoing political disagreements should not derail initiatives intended to benefit the residents of Rivers State, underscoring that the economy should be a priority over political divisions.