Rivers State Government has announced that it is appealing a Federal High Court ruling that stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing funds to the state.
This court decision put a hold on monthly allocations due to issues with the state’s budget approval process.
It should be recalled that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is having a running battle with the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, an ally of Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister.
The political battle has, in the past, led to impeachment attempts on the governor.
In reaction to the latest judgement, Joseph Johnson, Rivers State’s Commissioner for Information, told reporters that the state is confident the appeal will overturn the judgment. He stated that the government was already preparing for this outcome and has taken steps to appeal the court’s ruling.
Johnson said, “We saw this judgment coming the way it did when the trial judge refused 23 council chairmen as joinders, refused the state to change their lawyer and refused our objection challenging jurisdiction of the federal high court.
“The judgment has already been appealed and l believe that the Court of Appeal will upturn the judgment. We are not panicked and there is no cause for alarm.”
The court case began when Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court found that Governor Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to only four members of the state House of Assembly went against Nigeria’s Constitution.
The judge also called Fubara’s continued use of state funds without full approval a “Constitutional violation.”
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that the Central Bank, as well as Zenith Bank and Access Bank, should prevent Fubara from accessing funds until the budget is approved by a properly formed House of Assembly.
Justice Abdulmalik’s judgment follows the suit instituted by the Rivers House of Assembly and Martins Amaewhule against the CBN, Zenith Bank PLC, Access Bank PLC, Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor Fubara, Accountant-General of Rivers State, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, S. C. Amadi (Chief Judge of Rivers), Hon. Justice Adolphis Enebeli (retired), (Chairman, Rivers SIEC) and the Government of Rivers State, as 1st to 10th defendants respectively.
The plaintiffs said Governor Fubara had yet to comply with the court order that directed him to re-present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
