Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly stated they have returned the N100,000 Christmas bonus offered to them by the state’s governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara.
The Assembly, which described the N100,000 cash present as unsolicited and unapproved, said the governor had continued to spend Rivers’ money without regard for the law.
However, state lawmakers rejected the money in a statement signed on Tuesday night by Hon. Enemi Alabo George, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions, and Complaints.
George said, “Today, the 30th day of December 2025, honorable members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly received bank credit alerts of the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) each. The said unsolicited and unapproved amount was transferred on the instructions of the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalaye Fubara GSSRS, to the personal accounts of members.
“Upon discovery of these unsolicited and unapproved transfers, Honourable Members of the House took immediate steps to formally return the said funds to the account of the Rivers State Government.”
George stated that as a law-abiding institution, they would not participate in any activity that violated the law.
He stated that since 2023, Fubara has continued to take from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Accounts without parliamentary consent, despite numerous warnings from the House.
He said, “As an institution established by law and guided strictly by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Rivers State House of Assembly maintains that all public expenditures must follow due process, including legislative approval.
“The Governor, since assumption of office in 2023, has consistently drawn from the consolidated revenue accounts of Rivers State without legislative approval, despite repeated warnings from the House, judgment of the Supreme Court, and in defiance of the Constitution and principles of separation of powers.
“Therefore, with the leave of Mr. Speaker and the entire House, I cease this medium to once again draw the attention of all staff of the Rivers State Government who connive with the Governor and others to contravene the Constitution and laws of Rivers State to the fact that we have become aware of their unlawful conduct.”
