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Jane Otu, South South
DAILY COURIER – The Federal High Court Abuja has stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), from further releasing monthly financial allocations to the Rivers State Government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Wednesday, declared the presentation of the 2024 budget by Governor Siminalayi Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly as an affront to the constitutional provision.
She held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was a breach of the Constitution and an aberration that must not be allowed to continue.
Consequently, the court restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated revenue account.
The judgement followed a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, brought before the court by the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The plaintiffs had approached the court, praying it to withhold all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers state.
Noting that Governor Fubara had continued to make unauthorised withdrawals from the consolidated revenues funds of Rivers state, in breach of section 120 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, they contended that the Governor 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.
They had argued that the high court had in a judgement delivered by Justice James Omotosho, recognised Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and invalidated the 2024 budget proposal that was presented before the four-member faction of the Assembly, led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
They further contended that the Court of Appeal upheld the high court decision that was in their favour.
