The administration of President Bola Tinubu has assured that Rivers State will continue to receive its federal allocation, despite an ongoing legal battle concerning the state’s access to funds.
This clarification comes after the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr. Bawa Mokwa, emphasized the government’s commitment to upholding court directives on the matter.
“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,” Mokwa was quoted as saying by The PUNCH.
The controversy began on October 30, when Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a ruling barring the Federal Government from disbursing monthly allocations to Rivers State. The court also directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to restrict the state’s access to funds in the consolidated revenue account. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24) filed by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Hon. Martins Amaewhule.
In response, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara filed an appeal on Friday urging the Court of Appeal in Abuja to overturn the high court’s decision. Represented by a legal team led by Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, Governor Fubara argued that the judgement was issued in bad faith. He appealed to the three-member appellate panel, chaired by Justice Hamma Barka, to nullify the adverse orders against the state.
The governor’s appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1303/2024, was consolidated with five other related appeals during Friday’s hearing. Governor Fubara stressed the urgency of setting aside the high court ruling to restore the state’s access to critical federal funds.
The case continues to generate widespread attention as both state and federal authorities work to navigate the legal complexities. Despite the ongoing litigation, the federal government’s latest assurance is expected to bring some relief to Rivers State as the appeal process unfolds.
