Rivers State
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has overturned a judgement that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing monthly federal allocations to Rivers State. In a split ruling on Friday, two justices ruled in favour of the Rivers State government, while one objected.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara had approached the Court of Appeal to overturn the judgement, claiming that the High Court judgement was given in bad faith. The governor’s team of lawyers, led by Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, prayed to the appellate court to set aside the subsisting order of the High Court that compelled the CBN to withhold the state’s monthly allocation.
The initial judgement was obtained by the factional Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, who alleged that the Rivers State Executive was yet to comply with the order of a Federal High Court directing it to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Court of Appeal’s decision is a significant development in the ongoing dispute between the Rivers State government and the factional Rivers State Assembly. The FAAC typically disburses revenue to the three tiers of government, including states, local governments, and the federal government.
