- The plaintiffs had approached the court, asking it to stop all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers state
The Federal Government has been ordered not to release further monthly allocations to Rivers State.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave the order on Wednesday while ruling on a suit filed by the Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the State House of Assembly.
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while delivering the judgment on the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, categorically barred the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from allowing the state to draw funds from the consolidated revenue account.
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.
The plaintiffs had approached the court, asking it to stop all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers state.
They hinged their case on the refusal of Governor Fubara to comply with the court ruling that ordered 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.
The Hon. Amaewhule-led members of the Rivers State Assembly added that the Court of Appeal upheld the high court decision that was in their favour.
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
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