The Rivers State Government has taken a bold step by lodging an appeal against the Federal High Court’s judgment which restricted the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing allocations to the state.
The appeal comes amidst Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s victory over an attempted impeachment by the Martin Amaewhule-led state House of Assembly.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson expressed confidence in the appeal’s success.
Johnson cited several red flags in the trial judge’s decisions that indicated the judgment would go against them.
According to Johnson, the trial judge refused to allow 23 council chairmen to join the case, refused to change lawyers, and refused to challenge jurisdiction.
These decisions according to Johnson raised concerns about the fairness of the judgment.
Cyber Reporters recalls that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Federal High Court delivered the contentious ruling which she deemed Governor Fubara’s 2024 budget presentation to a four-member House of Assembly unconstitutional.
Justice Abdulmalik condemned Fubara’s receipt and disbursement of allocations since January as a “gross violation” of the 1999 Constitution.
The court’s order to freeze Fubara’s access to state funds has significant implications for Rivers State’s governance as essential services and projects may be affected by this decision.
However, Johnson reassured that the appeal will rectify the situation. “We’re not panicked; the Appeal Court will uphold justice,” he stated.
As the appeal progresses, tensions remain high in Rivers State.
