The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has confirmed that the state will continue to receive its federal allocations despite an ongoing legal battle.
This assurance follows a Federal High Court ruling on October 30, which had directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold further monthly allocations to the state.
The court's decision was based on Governor Siminalayi Fubara's presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly, which Justice Joyce Abdulmalik deemed unconstitutional.
The judge described this as a "constitutional aberration," raising questions about the legitimacy of the State House of Assembly's composition and its authority to approve budgets.
Justice Abdulmalik stated, "Fubara’s actions violated Sections 91 and 96 of the 1999 Constitution," emphasizing the need for adherence to legislative processes.
Despite this ruling, the Rivers State Government has filed an appeal, which, according to the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General, Bawa Mokwa, effectively overrides the initial court judgment.
Mokwa explained, “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.”
The state's Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, expressed confidence in the appeal process, stating that they anticipate a favorable outcome from the Appeal Court. He remarked, "The pointers to the anticipated judgment are glaring, and we remain unperturbed."
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