Rivers’ crisis takes new turn, as Court stops CBN from releasing allocations to state govt

The political crisis bedeviling Rivers State has taken another dimension as the State House of Assembly has taken steps to cut off financial allocations to the state government.

This is as the legislative arm has secure an order from a federal High Court in Abuja stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from further releasing funds from federal allocations to the state government.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, issued the oder on Wednesday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the Rivers Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule.

In the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24) filed by the Amaewhule faction, the defendants included the CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and several others.

READ ALSO: RIVERS CRISIS: ‘Something will happen if Fubara is impeached’, Asari-Dokubo warns

The plaintiffs argued that Governor Fubara failed to comply with a previous court order requiring him to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Amaewhule-led faction.

They highlighted that the court, in an earlier ruling by Justice James Omotosho, had recognized Hon. Amaewhule as the legitimate Speaker of the Assembly and invalidated a budget proposal submitted to a smaller faction led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.

The Amaewhule faction also noted that the Court of Appeal had upheld the High Court’s decision in their favor. They accused Governor Fubara of making unauthorized withdrawals from the state’s consolidated revenue, violating Section 120 of the amended 1999 Constitution.

The state has been in the grips of violence and tension as Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesome Wike have been in a political battle over control of the state.

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