The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the suspension of federal allocations to Rivers State, citing non-compliance with proper budgetary procedures. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued an injunction to prevent the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial entities from releasing funds to the state. The ruling followed a suit filed by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, arguing that Governor Siminalayi Fubara failed to resubmit the 2024 Appropriation Bill as required, thereby invalidating the budget.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik highlighted that the Rivers State Governor’s submission of the 2024 budget to only a small segment of the legislature violated the constitutional requirement for legislative approval. The judge also referenced a previous court ruling that nullified the budget on similar grounds, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal. She emphasized that bypassing constitutional mandates regarding budget presentation and approval infringes on the legislative arm’s role and breaches sections of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
The court’s order restrains Governor Fubara, the state’s Accountant General, and various banks from authorizing fund withdrawals until the budget is duly passed by a properly constituted House of Assembly. Justice Abdulmalik reinforced the importance of upholding the constitutional order, stating that public funds cannot be disbursed under an unlawfully constituted legislative body.
