A Federal High Court in Abuja has denied a request to halt all expenditures by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, pending a hearing on a lawsuit filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Instead, the court ordered the plaintiffs to serve the defendants with the necessary legal documents. The court granted permission for the documents to be served through substituted means, such as publishing them in the Nation Newspapers.
The hearing has been adjourned until August 7. The lawsuit, filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and led by Martin Amaewhule, seeks to restrain the governor and other defendants from accessing the state’s funds until the budget is re-presented to the house.
The assembly had suspended all expenditures by the governor until he re-presents his budget, which they claim has expired. The court’s ruling is a temporary setback for the pro-Wike led assembly, but the legal battle is ongoing.
“The leave is hereby granted to the plaintiffs/applicants to serve the 5th to 10th defendants/respondents with the plaintiffs/applicants’ originating and any other process(es) filed or issued in this suit by substituted means to wit: “By publishing same in the Nation Newspapers.” – Justice Emeka Nwite
