The Supreme Court has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to stop financial allocations to Rivers state government with immediate effect.
The Apex court directed that the order shall be in force until the state government implements a lawful Appropriation law.
In a judgment on Friday delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, the Supreme Court also ordered the 27- members of Rivers House of Assembly to resume their functions immediately.
The unanimous judgment of the 5-man panel led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji stopped all actions by Governor Fubara, describing them as unlawful.
It also criticised the state government for demolishing the House of Assembly to prevent the 27 Assembly members from participating in legislative activities.
Justice Agim ordered that the Clerk and Deputy Clerk who were redeployed out of the State House of Assembly be allowed to resume work alongside their colleagues.
The court considered it an aberration for the Governor to operate with only 4 out of 32 lawmakers for fear of impeachment.
Recall, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both in Abuja which declared the sack of the affected lawmakers as “unlawful and illegal.”
This is as the court asked the state government to compensate the aggrieved legislators with the sum of N10million, as fine accruable from the suit against the Governor.
Also recall that the Federal High Court had held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January 2024, by the Governor must stop.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik who delivered the Federal high court judgment had issued an order that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a 4-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Constitutional provision.
According to the Judge, the implementation of the budget violated the 1999 Constitution which the Governor swore to protect.
The judge had therefore restrained CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
