- The OAGF confirmed that Rivers State will continue receiving federal allocations, citing major reasons
- A Federal High Court ruled Rivers State’s 2024 budget unconstitutional due to approval by an Assembly faction lacking a legal quorum
- The Rivers State Government appealed the ruling, with the OAGF affirming that the appeal nullifies the court’s order
The federal government has assured that Rivers State will continue to receive its monthly allocations, citing legal reasons that override an earlier High Court decision halting the disbursement of funds.
The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) clarified on Friday, November 22, that the state’s allocations would proceed despite the October 30 ruling by the Federal High Court barring payments.
Photo credit: Nyesom Wike/Siminalayi Fubara
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng had reported that the Federal High Court had earlier declared Rivers State’s 2024 budget unconstitutional, citing its approval by a four-member faction of the State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Furthermore, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik described the disbursement and expenditure of allocations since January 2024 as a “constitutional aberration.”
She ruled that actions taken by the governor and the four-member Assembly violated Sections 91 and 96 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulate the required quorum for legislative approval, Vanguard reported.
Rivers state appeals High court’s decision
In response, the Rivers State Government swiftly filed a notice of appeal to challenge the ruling.
Governor Fubara’s administration dismissed the decision as politically motivated, with the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, expressing confidence in the Court of Appeal.
Why Rivers state will get allocation despite High court verdict?
In a sharp turn of event, the OAGF’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, explained,
“We are going to obey the court order. Since there is a notice of appeal, the notice of appeal has overridden the earlier court judgment.
“So far, it is a court order that we will obey; if there is a notice of appeal, Rivers will be paid.”
The OAGF confirmed that the appeal effectively nullifies the Federal High Court’s judgment, ensuring that Rivers State continues to receive federal allocations while the case is resolved.
River allocation: Appeal court urged to overtun High court’s verdict
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called on the Court of Appeal in Abuja to overturn a Federal High Court ruling that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing the state’s monthly allocations.
Fubara described the judgment as issued “in bad faith” and urged the court to expedite its decision to restore financial operations in the state.
Source: Legit.ng