Reactions Trail Court Judgement Stalling Release of Allocation to Rivers State

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A coalition of Rivers State Local Government Chairmanship Candidates of the recent Local Government Election in Rivers, has condemned the judgement of a federal High Court in Abuja, stalling the release of allocations to the state government.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had in her ruling Wednesday, ordered that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), should stop releasing monthly financial allocations to the Rivers State government.

The judge, delivered the ruling in a suit registered in FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, brought before to the court by the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, reacting on the ruling, in Port Harcourt, the coalition urged the judiciary to maintain its place as the last hope of the common man in the country.

Chairman of the Coalition, Progress Anselemi who was the candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), for Abua/Odual LGA in the election, while speaking with THISDAY called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the matter.

The group which consists of chairmanship candidates, their vice and councillors from all the political parties that contested but lost in the LG polls, commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for going beyond the benchmark set by the Federal Government in the payment of minimum wage to workers in the state.

They expressed their support for Governor Fubara, saying “We condemn moves by some persons to stop the release of allocations to the newly elected council chairmen and State government. We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to disregard the actions of political detractors and urge the judiciary to maintain its status as the last hope of the common man.

“We commend the governor of Rivers State, for the implementation of 85,000 minimum wage for civil servants above the 70,000 benchmark by the Federal Government and we reiterate that the candidates in the last October 5, local government elections under this coalition are fully in support of Sir Siminalayi Fubara”.

The group warned political detractors in the state to desist from such, saying, “We also deliver a resolute message to all political detractors that no weapon fashioned against our governor shall prosper for he is unimpeachable, unshakeable and unremovable”.

While restating their support to work for the governor in 2027, they said they are doing all within their powers to stall any attempt to remove the governor adding: “We are making frantic efforts to make sure we spoil every effort that they would make to impeach our governor from their wards and units”.

Also reacting on the ruling, a former member of the state House of Assembly, Hon Friday Nke-ee regretted that the judiciary had been into a drama set where individual can easily influence court decision.

Nke-ee alleged that the judgement came after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike inaugurated the building of houses for judges in Abuja. He noted that all attempt by interested parties to join in the suit were allegedly refused by Justice Abdulmalik.

“You are aware that there has been a running battle between the Rivers State government and for members of the House of Assembly, 26 of them. And there has been series of court judgements, restrictions, motions, others. Infact Rivers has the highest number of cases in the judiciary now.

“The e judgement today is not a surprise to all of us, because that is a matter that came up and people applied for joiners, including the sitting elected chairmen and the Judge refused, even up to the point other interest groups came in, filed in motion for joinder, she threw them out because she had already taken her decision on it.

“He (Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory)
has captured the judiciary system in Rivers state, and a situation where a Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) can sit down to sit with a party, because they want to build houses, of course is criminal for them to even accept offer.

“A judge is not supposed to receive offer from a potential plaintiff, so when you see all his drama, at the end of the day we are not worried because this is court of first instance. The Appeal and Supreme courts are there. We are going to move up to the next level and at that time we will know what to do, but today, is a drama that is going on in judiciary in Nigeria.”