The Federal High Court in Abuja has made a significant ruling, barring the Federal Government from releasing further monthly allocations to Rivers State.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik made this decision, specifically restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from allowing the state to draw funds from the consolidated revenue account.
The Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly filed the lawsuit that led to this ruling. The plaintiffs named several defendants, including the CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the Government of Rivers State.
The Amaewhule-led faction prayed to the court to withhold all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers State due to Governor Fubara’s non-compliance with a court order. This order directed the governor to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to their Rivers State House of Assembly faction....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
The plaintiffs argued that the high court had recognized Hon. Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, invalidating the 2024 budget proposal presented to the rival faction led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo. The Court of Appeal also upheld this decision in their favour.
Governor Fubara was accused of making unauthorized withdrawals from the state’s consolidated revenues funds, violating Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution. This ruling highlights the ongoing dispute over the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly and its implications for the state’s finances.
