News
Supreme Court orders pro-Wike lawmakers to resume, stops CBN from releasing fund allocation to Rivers
The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday, delivered judgment in favour of 27 Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the former governor of the State and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Court said with the judgment in their favour, they should resume legislative activities immediately.
The apex Court further directed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the Accountant General of the Federation to stop further release of financial allocations to Rivers state government with immediate effect.
The Court said the order remains in force until the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, “stops all his illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional activities.”
The Supreme Court said that no money should be released to the Rivers state government until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under the Martin Amaewhule leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The five-member panel of Justices of the apex court, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, dismantled all actions carried out by governor Fubara for being unlawful.
The Court lambasted the governor for engaging in criminal activity by demolishing the House of Assembly with impunity just to prevent the 27 legislators in the Rivers State House of Assembly from sitting to carry out lawful duties.
Justice Agim ordered that the Clerk and Deputy Clerk who were unlawfully redeployed out of the House of Assembly must be allowed to resume work alongside the House of Assembly workers.
The court held that it was an aberration for governor Fubara to operate with only four out of the 32 House of Assembly members under the guise of baseless fears that he would be impeached.
According to the Justices on the panel, Fubara, by his unlawful acts among others, collapsed the House of Assembly and used his immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to carry out barbaric acts against the rule of law.
The Supreme Court affirmed the concurrent judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both in Abuja, which had earlier declared the acts against the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members as unlawful and illegal.
A sum of N10 million fine was imposed on Fubara to be paid to the House of Assembly and the 27 members who instituted the suit against him.
The Federal High Court had held in its judgment that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January last year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a Constitutional summersault and aberration that must not be allowed to continue.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who delivered the Federal High Court judgment,t had last year issued an order that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Constitutional provision.
Specifically, the Judge said that Fubara’s action in implementing an unlawful budget smacked of gross violations of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect and consequently restrained the CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it has been vindicated by recent revelations from the state’s former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.
The Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday.
The former Head of Service, who recently resigned had alleged that the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was directly responsible for the political crisis in the state and the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
In response, the Rivers State APC asserted that Nwaeke’s testimony aligns with the party’s long-held position, as frequently stated by Chief Okocha, that the suspended governor was the architect of the state’s political crisis, including masterminding the October 29, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Chief Okocha further emphasized that Nwaeke’s account, given his high-ranking position in the state, cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
He said attempts to discredit the former Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the alleged corruption and misconduct that the APC has repeatedly highlighted.
“What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr. George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again , it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers State as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers State.
“The revelations made by the former Head of Service in Rivers State has further positioned her as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers State in 2027.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the corruption within Sim Fubara’s administration, which we have consistently highlighted as the opposition party. On this matter, the APC shall function as watchdogs”, the party stated.
Chief Tony Okocha expressed confidence that security agencies would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The APC in Rivers State strongly believes that the relevant security agencies will be professional enough to get to the root of the matter and make their findings public”, he said.
A coalition of civil rights organizations, the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations leveled against suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service of the state.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, Director General of the CCLCA, urged the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take swift action in probing the allegations. He emphasized that if proven true, these claims pose serious risks to governance and democracy.
The coalition, comprising 30 civil society organizations, stands in solidarity with Dr. Nwaeke, who has expressed willingness to provide evidence of alleged corruption and constitutional breaches involving Governor Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Edison.
“We collectively urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently. Addressing these allegations is critical to restoring public confidence in governance at both the state and national levels,” Dr. Nwambu stated.
He commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his intervention in Rivers State, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency, a move he described as crucial for stabilizing the region.
Dr. Nwaeke’s accusations against Governor Fubara include:
Arson and Sabotage: Allegedly instructing his Chief of Staff to burn down the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent impeachment proceedings, a violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Corruption and Financial Misconduct: Claims of large sums of money being used for personal and illegal activities, contravening Section 15(5) of the Constitution.
Threats to Public Safety: Alleged plans to sabotage state infrastructure, potentially inciting public disorder, which falls under Section 1 of the Terrorism Prevention Act (2011).
Collusion with Militant Groups: Alleged meetings between the governor, his Chief of Staff, and militant leaders, posing a threat to national security and violating Section 43 of the Constitution.
Suppression of Labour Rights: Alleged attempts to bribe labour leaders to silence dissent, contravening Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The coalition has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure a thorough, transparent, and expedited investigation into these allegations.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has appointed Sam Ifeanyi Hart, Esq. as his new Chief of Staff (CoS).
Hart replaces Hon. Toby Okechukwu who was recently appointed Executive Director, Projects of the newly established South East Development Commission (SEDC).
Prior to his appointment, Hart served as Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Public Affairs and has an extensive background in training and consultancy.
Hart also previously served as Director-General, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency from 2019 to 2023 after occupying other appointive positions.
He was also a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru where he attended the Senior Executive Course 45, serving as Course Secretary-General.
He has also served on the Boards of several corporate and non-governmental entities.
Hart brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, with a distinguished career spanning law, leadership, and public service.
A lifelong learner, he holds multiple academic qualifications, including a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from Abia State University.
The new Chief of Staff is also currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Law.
A seasoned professional, Hart has attended prestigious institutions, including the GOTNI Leadership Centre, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG).
He is also a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (M.IoD), Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (ACIArb), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
As Chief of Staff, Hart will provide strategic guidance and support to the Deputy Speaker legislative activities, leveraging his expertise to drive policy initiatives and promote good governance.
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