General
Court Nullifies N800bn Rivers 2024 Budget Signed Into Law by Fubara
By Adedapo Adesanya
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja has nullified the N800 billion 2024 budget passed by the Edison Ehie-led group of the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The court also upheld the suit filed by the Assembly and the now-recognized Speaker of the House, Mr Martin Amaewhule, against Mr Fubara, which sought an order of injunction restraining the governor from frustrating the Assembly under his leadership as a speaker, among others.
Recall that in October 2023, a political crisis rocked the South-South state after a fire burnt the Assembly complex, which led to its demolition in December. In the midst of these issues, Mr Fubara presented the 2024 budget proposal of N800 billion to five out of a supposed 31 members of the State Assembly led by the then-factional speaker, Mr Ehie.
The presentation was done at the Government House in Port Harcourt, following the demolition of the Assembly Complex by the state government and after a court restrained Mr Amaewhule, from using the Assembly Complex.
Mr Ehie and the other pro-Fubara lawmakers passed the budget estimates under 24 hours and the Governor signed the bill into law, saying it is aimed at promoting economic development through inclusive growth and addressing socio-economic inequality in the state.
Mr Ehie would later resign from the House and Mr Amaewhule was restored as the Assembly’s Speaker after both sides met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Mr Amaewhule and 25 other lawmakers loyal to ex-Governor Nyesom Wike subsequently demanded that Fubara present the 2024 budget estimates to the Assembly afresh and the matter was taken to court.
On Monday, Mr Ken Njemanze, who is counsel for Mr Amaewhule, accused the governor of interfering with the performance and functions of the state lawmakers contrary to the doctrine of the separation of powers.
The plaintiff also sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents from denying the Assembly the due funds for running its affairs including the payment of salaries, allowances, emoluments, and meeting its financial obligations no matter how described.
In his response, Justice Omotosho observed Mr Ehie could not sue or be sued in the case as he is no longer the Speaker or a member of the Assembly.
On the preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of his court, Justice Omotosho held the suit was properly constituted before him.
He disagreed with the plaintiffs on the powers of the governor, noting that the power to make laws in a state is shared between the executive, the state Assembly, and local government areas.
Concerning the National Assembly taking over the functions of the State Assembly, the judge said that can only happen when the state lawmakers are no longer sitting and transacting business as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws.
On the removal of the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Emeka Amadi, who was redeployed by the Rivers State Head of Service, Justice Omotosho declared it null and void and invalid in the face of the law.
Justice Omotosho said the constitution is clear that the appointment of a Clerk and Deputy Clerk is done by the Rivers State Speaker and is subject to confirmation by the lawmakers, and that their appointment and remuneration are governed by the Rivers State House Of Assembly Law, even though they are civil servants.
The judge said the first plaintiff is entitled to funds or amount standing to the credit of Rivers Assembly in the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund, including salaries and emoluments and that same cannot be stopped by anyone including the governor.
The judge declared that the governor of Rivers State, by himself or by members of the staff of the Rivers State Public Service is not entitled to take steps aimed at interfering with the affairs of the River State House of Assembly, and the Speaker, in the performance of their duties.
The judge said the governor cannot withhold the due funds of the lawmakers in the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund and he restrained the National Assembly from accepting any requests from the governor.
The judge also observed that the governor’s legal team had withdrawn all his processes in the matter, adding that it means that he admitted all the facts stated by the plaintiffs.
The judge held that based on facts before his court, Mr Amaewhule remained the valid Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly and said the purported sitting of Ehie and four other lawmakers who sat to pass the budget of the state is null and void.
Justice Omotosho said the court found it strange that the governor would destroy the Rivers State Assembly building as well as present an appropriation bill to five lawmakers.
He declared the presentation of the bill to the five lawmakers void and granted the order setting aside the purported Appropriation Bill signed, despite the interim order of his court, restraining him.
The judge also granted the order restraining the governor from continuing the demolition or construction of the Rivers State building.
The court said all the acts of the governor with four lawmakers is a nullity and he should go through the lawmakers presided by Mr Amaewhule.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. West Africa Time.
In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the extension was intended to ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make substantive contributions to the proposed legislation.
“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the statement read.
The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.
“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.
The former lawmaker said legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended window to submit their memoranda and position papers, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before the new deadline.
According to him, developing an effective policing framework required careful consideration of a number of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.
“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.
He noted that at the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.
The Presidential Working Group appreciated stakeholders who had already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.
The National Policing Bill portal went live on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila first announced the public consultation window during a press briefing on the reform, at the time indicating that submissions would close after roughly two weeks.
The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Bola Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the prevailing insecurity in parts of the country is negatively affecting its operations and revenue generation.
The Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Mrs Nsikak Umoh, disclosed this in Minna while inspecting the Niger/Kogi Area Command Headquarters and engaging with vehicle importers on the operational challenges confronting the command.
Mrs Umoh said insecurity was not peculiar to the Niger/Kogi Area Command, but affected several Customs formations across the North-West, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara states.
“The security challenge is not peculiar to only Niger/Kogi Area Command. The whole of North-West comprising Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara States, which are all under my command, are facing the same security challenge,” she said.
According to her, the security situation had exposed customs personnel to increasing threats, with some officers killed or injured in the course of performing their duties, adding that the development had forced some commands to scale down their operations or adopt more cautious approaches, thereby affecting revenue collection.
Mrs Umoh explained that the service was encouraging its officers to adopt intelligence-led operations to minimise risks while ensuring that legitimate Customs duties continued.
“But we are trying our best to encourage them to use an intelligence-based operating system to do their job, and that is why in most of the commands, we have a reduction in revenue collections,” she added.
The ACG also expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on the physical and psychological wellbeing of Customs personnel, noting that some officers had developed health complications, including hypertension, due to fear and stress associated with their duties.
Despite the security challenges, Umoh said the Niger/Kogi Area Command had continued to perform strongly in revenue generation, disclosing that the command had surpassed its monthly revenue target of N17 million, generating more than N200 million as of August 12.
She commended the officers and stakeholders in the command for sustaining revenue collection despite the difficult operating environment.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered more than N115 billion in statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by defaulting oil companies between 2021 and 2023.
The recovery comprises N76.883 billion and $81.076 million, according to an EFCC representative, Mr Francis Oka-Phillips Usani, who disclosed the figures before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday.
Mr Usani spoke while the committee was investigating the 2021–2023 Oil and Gas Sector Audit Report of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
He said the EFCC investigated 43 oil companies over outstanding three per cent statutory levies payable to the NDDC.
According to him, 24 of the companies operating in the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding liabilities of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655, while the remaining 19 companies were cleared of any outstanding liability.
“At the commencement of the investigation, EFCC invited 43 oil companies, out of which 24 operating within the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding liabilities in the sums of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655.00, while the remaining 19 other oil companies were given a clean bill of health,” Mr Usani said.
The agent explained that following the investigation and pressure mounted by the commission, some of the affected companies paid their outstanding liabilities directly to the NDDC.
He said the direct payments amounted to N6.709 billion and $16.994 million.
Mr Usani further disclosed that of the funds recovered by the EFCC on behalf of the NDDC, N73.373 billion and $67.070 million had so far been released to the commission, noting that the balance of N3.510 billion and $14.005 million remained in the EFCC’s recovery account.
He, however, stated that the commission was also mindful of other possible outstanding statutory obligations and taxes payable to the federal government.
