Supreme Court stops CBN, banks from making payments to Rivers State

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday, stopped the CBN and banks from making payments to rivers State government.

The Court in a judgement on Friday ruled that the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions must stop payments to Rivers State until Governor Siminalayi Fubara presents the state budget to the House of Assembly, in this instance dominated by defected lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike.

The Supreme Court, in the judgment, affirmed Martin Amaewhule as the speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, which it identified as the authentic and legally constituted lawmaking body in the state.
A five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, in a lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, therefore, restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from further releasing budgetary allocations to Rivers until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a lawfully constituted house of assembly.

In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the panel ordered that Amaewhule and other 26 members of the assembly, who were alleged to have defected, should be allowed to resume legislative duties unhindered.
The Supreme Court further ordered that all members of the house of assembly are to resume normal legislative businesses without any hindrance to any members.

Justice Agim condemned the conduct of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who he said chose to destroy the government of Rivers and resort to acting unlawfully by pulling down the House of Assembly owing to his fear that there were moves to impeach him.

The apex court set aside the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, in which the appellate court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction on cases relating to funds belonging to Rivers.

The panel equally awarded a cost of N5 million against Fubara and the Government of Rivers, to be paid to the Rivers House of Assembly and Amaewhule.

NAN