Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara received a big blow, Wednesday, as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to stop further release of monthly allocations to the administration.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the disbursement and the receipt of monthly allocations since January, 2024 by the Rivers State Governor violated the Constitution and such aberration must not continue.
Justice Abdumalik held that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the provision of the constitution.
Describing Governor Fubara’s action as a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution(as amended), the judge restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing the governor to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court which set aside the N800 billion budget passed by five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Hon.Edison Ehie.
The appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by Fubara on grounds that it lacked merit.
The court held that Fubara withdrew his counter-affidavit at the lower court in the matter and consequently cannot commence an appeal in a matter he did not challenge at the trial stage.
Maintaining that Fubara, as governor, was expected to apply the rule of law and not the rule of might, the court, in its unanimous judgement, held that the situation in Rivers State House of Assembly smacked of executive dictatorship by the governor adding that it was a joke taken too far.
After nullifying the 2024 Rivers State budget passed by pro-Fubara lawmakers, Justice Omotoso ordered the governor to re-present the budget to the legally constituted Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
Justice Omotoso also ordered Governor Fubara to release all funds accruable to the Rivers House of Assembly and barred him from interfering with the activities of the assembly.
It would be recalled that Governor Fubara had, in December 2023, presented the budget titled: ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’ of N800 billion to five out of the over 30 lawmakers of the state House of Assembly.
