Politics
Appeal Court sets aside order stopping release of funds to Rivers govt
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has set aside the order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing funds to the Rivers State government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had in October restrained the CBN and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing funds from the federation account to the Governor Siminilayi Fubara administration.
The judge, who gave the order in a suit filed by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, held that the governor’s presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the constitution.
She declared the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by Fubara was a breach of the constitution that must not be allowed to continue.
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Dissatisfied with the verdict, the Rivers State government approached the appellate court to set it aside.
In Friday’s proceeding, the three-member panel led by Justice Hamman Barka held that the matter was not within the jurisdiction of the lower court to adjudicate.
The panel declared that the court erred by stopping the release of funds to the Rivers State government from the consolidated account.
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