The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has stopped the release of federal monthly allocations from the consolidated funds to the Rivers State government.
The judgement was delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, she specifically restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from allowing the state to draw funds from the consolidated revenue account.
The plaintiffs (Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly) had approached the court, praying it to withhold all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers state predicated their case on the ground that Governor Fubara had yet to comply with the court order that directed him to represent the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
According to the plaintiffs, the high court had in a judgement that was delivered by Justice James Omotosho, recognised Hon. Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
They noted that the court invalidated the 2024 budget proposal that was presented before the four-member faction of the Assembly, led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
They alleged that Governor Fubara had continued to make unauthorized withdrawals from the consolidated revenues funds of Rivers state, in breach of section 120 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Cited as defendants in the matter included the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF).
Others are Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Accountant-General of Rivers; Rivers Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC; Chief Judge of Rivers, Hon. Justice S.C. Amadi; Chairman of RSIEC, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd.) and the Government of Rivers State.
Reacting to the development, on Wednesday, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, revealed that he was ambushed in the presidential peace accord held in Abuja to reconcile the political crisis between him and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Fubara said those who attempted to end his administration undemocratically had boasted that they will boot him out of office within one week, but they failed woefully.
Fubara clarified that the ambush was not done by the initiator of the agreement, President Bola Tinubu, but by those who tried to play smart to forcefully takeover the leadership of the state.
He spoke at the State Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship, held at the Main Bowl of Alfred Diette-Spiff Civic Centre, along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt Old Township.
He said: “When I discovered that I am being ambushed, not by the person who initiated the peace, but by people who believed that they are smarter. But you know such smartness, no matter what you call yourself, it is still foolishness before God.
“That is why, as they said, those other things that they are looking for, to make them feel they are coming back to life, we will not do it. So, let me see how they will come to life when we don’t do it.”
“I want to tell you that we went to Abuja and Mr President, knowing the importance of peace of Rivers State, brought out some conditions. We came back here in this state.
“First, we did everything that has to be done with those conditions. We went to court immediately, withdrew our matters, but they did not. And you call yourself honourable, when you cannot even obey simple instruction, and you blame it on Fubara.
“How is Fubara the problem? Fubara is not the problem! It was because we withdrew our matter, even the matter you filed, and we said we don’t want to continue: you took advantage of it, and went and got judgement. Is it not fraud?”
Meanwhile, the National Democratic and Change Coalition (NDCC), while expressing satisfaction over the ruling, said the people of Rivers have been vindicated, and the long awaited justice has been served to the Governor.
In a press release they stated:
“In the wake of this judgement, NDCC urges Governor Fubara to immediately reverse all his decisions and actions based on the illegitimate Assembly since they all suffer the same defect as the budget the court threw out.
“The Governor must also strongly consider refunding all the Rivers States’ funds illegally expended from January to date.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also reacted to the situation in Rivers State, cautioning the judiciary against setting the state on fire.
The Rivers State Government has however filed an appeal against the recent Federal High Court ruling.
