The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied a request by the Rivers State Government to halt proceedings in a suit seeking to stop the allocation of funds to the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the request after hearing arguments from the state’s counsel, Gordy Uche, and the plaintiffs’ counsel, Joseph Daudu, labeling it “unmeritorious and mischievous” [2).
Background of the Suit
The Rivers State House of Assembly and its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, filed the suit, urging the court to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold the state’s local government fund allocation. However, the Rivers State Government opposed the hearing of the suit in Abuja, but the court overruled the objection.
Subsequent Actions
Following the court’s decision, the state government approached the Court of Appeal to intervene and filed an appeal (CA/ABJ/CV/1197/2024) along with a motion to stay proceedings in the Federal High Court until the appeal is resolved.
This development has raised concerns, with some warning that attempts to withhold funds from the people of Rivers State could trigger a crisis .
