BREAKING; Supreme Court orders CBN, AGF to freeze financial allocations to Rivers govt

BREAKING; Supreme Court orders CBN, AGF to freeze financial allocations to Rivers govt

In a ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court of Nigeria instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation to halt any further financial allocations to the Rivers State Government, effective immediately.

The court’s decision came after it found that the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had engaged in a series of illegal and unconstitutional actions. The order will remain in place until the Governor halts these activities, particularly those that have undermined the integrity of the state’s legislative processes.

The Apex Court emphasized that no further funds should be allocated to the state government until a legitimate Appropriation Law is passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule.

This legislation is considered essential for restoring proper governance and financial oversight.

Delivering the unanimous judgment, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim criticized Governor Fubara for his actions, which included the unlawful demolition of the state’s House of Assembly to prevent elected lawmakers from performing their constitutional duties.

The Court stated that this act of aggression, along with other unlawful measures, was a direct affront to the rule of law.

In addition, the five-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, ordered the immediate reinstatement of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who had been sidelined by Fubara’s administration. The Court further directed that the Clerk and Deputy Clerk, who were unjustly removed, must be allowed to resume their duties along with other assembly staff.

The Justices lambasted Fubara for operating with just four of the 32 assembly members, citing baseless fears that his impeachment was imminent. They described this situation as a constitutional distortion, enabled by his misuse of immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Supreme Court’s ruling also upheld previous decisions by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, both of which declared Fubara’s actions unlawful.

Notably, the Federal High Court had ruled that the Governor’s handling of monthly financial allocations, as well as the presentation of the 2024 budget to a truncated House of Assembly, was a direct violation of constitutional principles.

As part of the ruling, Governor Fubara has been fined N10 million, to be paid to the 27 lawmakers who challenged his conduct.

The Court held that Fubara’s failure to follow constitutional processes, including enacting a valid budget, amounted to a severe breach of public trust and governance norms.