A Federal High Court in Abuja has recently issued an order stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from distributing federal allocations to Rivers State. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik made this ruling on October 30, 2024, citing that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly, rather than the full Assembly, was unconstitutional. The judge found that disbursing monthly allocations based on this improperly approved budget violated the 1999 Constitution, and described the ongoing practice as a "constitutional aberration."
In addition to the CBN, the court order also restricts the Accountant General of the Federation, as well as Zenith and Access Banks, from permitting access to Rivers State funds from both the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Accounts until a lawful budget is approved by a legitimate House of Assembly. This decision stems from previous court judgments that nullified the authority of the four-member House led by Victor Oko Jumbo, upholding the authority of the assembly led by Martin Chike Amaewhule as the lawful legislative body.