Supreme court stops Rivers State fund allocation, faults Governor Fubara
The Supreme Court has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation to halt the allocation of funds to Rivers State until a valid budget is passed by the State House of Assembly.
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According to a report by Arise News, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the 2024 budget, presented by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to a four-member House of Assembly, was illegal.
The court stated that legislative business cannot be conducted in secret and that a four-member Assembly, representing only 12.5% of the state’s lawmakers, lacked the required quorum.
The court also ruled that Martins Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers, who were allegedly sidelined from legislative duties, must be reinstated immediately.
It stated that Governor Fubara’s actions, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, were unjustified and violated the rule of law.
The Supreme Court further faulted Governor Fubara, stating that his actions throughout the crisis were driven by fear of impeachment rather than legal justification.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court emphasized that preventing lawmakers from functioning and attempting to govern without a properly constituted Assembly was unconstitutional.
The judgment stressed that without a functioning legislature, Rivers State effectively has no government. This ruling is a major development in the state’s ongoing political crisis and reinforces the judiciary’s stance on upholding the rule of law.
