The Federal Government has assured that Rivers State will continue receiving its federal allocations despite an ongoing legal dispute. The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) stated on Friday that court orders would guide the disbursement process, emphasizing that the state’s notice of appeal has effectively overridden a previous Federal High Court ruling.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, clarified, “We are going to obey court order. Since there is a notice of appeal, the notice of appeal has overridden the earlier court judgment. So far, it is a court order that we will obey; if there is a notice of appeal, Rivers will be paid.”

This assurance follows the October 30 ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, which instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold monthly allocations to Rivers State. The judgment declared Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s 2024 budget presentation to a four-member House of Assembly unconstitutional, labeling the process as a “constitutional aberration.”

Court’s Decision Sparks Controversy

Justice Abdulmalik’s ruling invalidated decisions made by the Fubara-backed four-member Assembly, citing previous court judgments that annulled the legitimacy of the Assembly’s composition. The judgment described the governor’s actions as a breach of constitutional provisions requiring budget approvals by a fully constituted House of Assembly.

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The Amaewhule-led Assembly faction, which filed the suit against the Fubara-aligned legislature, had earlier declared a halt to all state expenditures in protest. This group argued that the governor’s actions ignored Sections 91 and 96 of the 1999 Constitution, which outline legislative requirements for state governance.

The court dismissed requests by the governor’s legal team to stay proceedings or recuse the judge, labeling the motions as “frivolous and vexatious.” Justice Abdulmalik maintained that legislative processes must follow constitutional guidelines to ensure accountability.

Rivers State’s Appeal and Government’s Response

The Rivers State Government quickly filed a notice of appeal against the ruling, with the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, expressing confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the judgment. Johnson reiterated that the government was unshaken by the ruling, describing their legal position as strong.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara also appeared unfazed by the ongoing battle, recently celebrating the defeat of an impeachment attempt by the Amaewhule-led Assembly faction, which is allegedly aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.

Allocations to Continue Pending Appeal

The OAGF has now confirmed that the ongoing appeal process ensures the continuation of federal allocations to Rivers State until the legal matter is fully resolved. While the dispute underscores significant governance and constitutional challenges in the state, the federal government’s commitment to adhering to court orders offers temporary relief for Rivers’ financial operations.