Fubara reacts to court's order barring CBN from releasing state allocations

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday, has reacted to an order of a Federal High Court stopping allocations to the state, expressing his indifference on the order.

Indeed, the Federal High Court gave an order on Wednesday stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria’s, CBN, and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing the state allocations.

But governor said his approach to the crisis is that of indifferenve, recalling that the intervention of President Bola Tinubu had empowered his opponents.

Governor Fubara said he did not regret for seeking peace, but this approach may have inadvertently empowered his opponents.

Only on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja barred the CBN from releasing monthly financial allocations to the Rivers State Government.

The judge said allocations released to the state government were in violation of the 1999 Constitution regarding the presentation of the 2024 budget.

Justice Abdulmalik, who said the governor presented the 2024 budget to a four-member Rivers State House of Assembly, stressed that the disbursement of monthly allocations by Governor Fubara since January of this year constituted a breach of the Constitution.

However, Governor Fubara, who spoke during a special thanksgiving service for his administration’s resilience amid the political turmoil, assured that his administration would continue to disburse payments to contractors and ensure timely salary payments to workers starting today (on Thursday).

According to him, allocations for the 23 Council Chairmen would also be processed, as the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee, JAAC, procedures have been finalized.

He urged his supporters to be resilient, stressing that challenges would be overcome.

Governor Fubara said despite initial skepticism about his government, he has successfully led for over a year, conducted local government elections, and maintained a full cabinet despite attempts to destabilize his leadership.

He dismissed opponents’ criticisms that his administration will not able to deliver, citig many ongoing projects throughout the state to show he is working.

Fubara recalled the violent incidents from October 30 of the previous year, the assassination attempt, assault on political adversaries who allegedly ambushed him following a legal withdrawal related to the Martin Amaewhule group, a decision influenced by an intervention from President Bola Tinubu and others.

Governor Fubara insisted that he has no regrets for seeking peace, acknowledging that this approach may have inadvertently empowered his opponents however.