Rivers: Atiku has berated the court order barring financial allocation to Rivers State

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has berated the court order barring financial allocation to Rivers State.

Newsmen had reported on Wednesday that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from further disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.

The presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, ruled that funds from the federation account should not be released to the state pending the passage of a lawful appropriation act by a validly constituted House of Assembly.

The suit was filed by Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.

Abdulmalik held that Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State governor, erred in presenting the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a “not properly constituted” five-member assembly.

Atiku, while reacting in a statement through his media adviser, Paul Ibe on Wednesday, warned that the judiciary’s actions could “destabilise” Rivers state.

According to him, it was appalling that elements loyal to the federal government were pulling strings from behind.

He questioned Abdulmalik’s decision to issue an injunction while Rivers state’s legal challenge was still underway at the court of appeal.

“Last week the Court of Appeal declared that the Rivers State budget was illegal because it was passed by an inchoate assembly.

“The court ordered Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the budget afresh — the Rivers State Government has already filed a notice of appeal so that the Supreme Court can hear the matter.

“However, some elements in the Bola Tinubu administration have procured a judgement intended to undermine the Supreme Court.

“Even before the judgment was delivered, legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) had alerted the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho of possible compromise after house gifts had been presented to judges in Abuja. Sadly, Falana’s warning was ignored,” the statement read.