The Supreme Court has issued an order barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other relevant agencies from disbursing funds to the Rivers State Government until it complies with previous court directives.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the apex court unanimously dismissed a cross-appeal filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which sought to challenge the legitimacy of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Martin Amaewhule. The ruling, which lasted one hour and thirty-six minutes, reaffirmed the validity of the Assembly presided over by Amaewhule and mandated its immediate resumption of legislative activities.
The court criticized Governor Fubara’s decision to present the state’s 2024 budget to a four-member factional Assembly, describing it as a flagrant violation of a previous court order. It held that the governor’s actions effectively denied twenty-eight constituencies representation, rendering the process unconstitutional. Consequently, the court directed that the 2024 appropriation bill be re-presented before a duly constituted House led by Amaewhule.
With this ruling, the financial operations of the Rivers State Government face significant uncertainty, as the Supreme Court restriction on fund disbursement remains in place until full compliance with its directives is achieved.
