The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to court rulings regarding federal allocations to Rivers State, amidst ongoing legal challenges over the state’s financial entitlements.
Speaking on Friday, OAGF Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, stated, “We will obey the court order. Since there is a notice of appeal, it overrides the earlier judgment. If there is a notice of appeal, Rivers will be paid.”
This assurance follows an October 30, 2024, Federal High Court ruling that directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend monthly allocations to Rivers State. The court declared the presentation of the 2024 budget by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to a four-member House of Assembly unconstitutional.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in her ruling, described the state’s budget implementation since January 2024 as a “constitutional aberration” and deemed the decisions made by the four-member Assembly faction supporting Fubara void. She argued that such actions violated Sections 91 and 96 of the 1999 Constitution, which require budget approvals by a fully constituted legislative body.
The suit, filed by a faction of the State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, challenged the legitimacy of the Fubara-backed Assembly. Justice Abdulmalik dismissed attempts to stay the proceedings and denied requests for her recusal, labeling such applications “frivolous and vexatious.”
The Rivers State Government has since appealed the ruling. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the decision. He described the judgment as part of the ongoing political battle between Governor Fubara and the faction loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
In light of the appeal, the OAGF confirmed that the appellate process supersedes the Federal High Court’s judgment, allowing federal allocations to Rivers State to continue pending the legal outcome.
The case has intensified the political crisis in Rivers State, with implications for governance and financial operations in the oil-rich region.
