FG says Rivers will receive federal allocation despite legal battle

The Federal Government said it will adhere to court orders regarding the disbursement of federal allocations to Rivers State.

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Siminalayi Fubara,
Siminalayi Fubara,(Credit: Premium Times)

Despite the legal battle with the Federal Government, the Office of the Attorney General has assured that River Stare will receive its share of the Federal allocation funds.

Punch reports that the director of press and public relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said the Federal Government will adhere to court orders regarding the disbursement of federal allocations to Rivers State.

Mr Mokwa said, “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,” he said.

A Federal High Court had in October ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold the monthly disbursement of the federal allocation due to Rivers State.

According to the court, the Rivers State governor’s budget presentation to a four-member House of Assembly was unconstitutional.

The court also described allocations received and spent by the state since January 2024, as a “constitutional aberration.”

The ruling also queried the legitimacy of the composition of the House of Assembly while declaring the approval void.

However, in a swift move, the Rivers State government filed an appeal challenging the decision of the Federal High in the suit.

This barrage of legal battles follows the fallout between the Rivers former governor, Nyesom Wike and the present governor Sim Fubara.

This fallout has further created two different factions in the state’s House of Assembly.