- Safiu Kehinde
The Supreme Court has, on Friday, barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation and other agencies from releasing funds to Rivers State Government over disobedience to court orders.
In the ruling delivered by the five-man panel of the court spearheaded by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the jury unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker.
The court ordered Martin Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with other elected members of the rivers state house of assembly.
According to reports, the apex court held that it is an aberration for Governor Fubara to have purportedly presented an appropriation bill before a four-man House of Assembly thereby denying twenty-eight constituencies of effective representation in vagrant violation of a court order mandating him (Fubara) to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill before a validly constituted Assembly led by Amaewhule.
It further held that the actions of Governor Fubara over the alleged defection of twenty-eight members of the Rivers Assembly is an act of brigandage and dictatorship aimed at preventing the House from performing its legitimate functions under the speakership of Amaewhule