By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Funds meant for Rivers State from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for November 2024 will not be disbursed by the federal government.
This is in compliance with the directive of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in October 2024 over the refusal of the Governor of the state, Mr Sim Fubara, to present the 2024 budget to the Mr Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
Last month, the court prohibited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing FAAC allocations to Rivers State until the budget is re-presented to the recognised assembly.
In December 2023, Mr Fubara presented the budget to a factional state parliament comprising four members led by his current Chief of Staff, Mr Edison Ehie.
This action followed the purported defection of 27 members of the parliament loyal to the immediate past governor of Rivers State and current Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Fubara and his political godfather, Mr Wike, fell out shortly after he took over the affairs of Rivers State, and while the Governor has been fighting from the state, his predecessor has been firing from Abuja.
Last month, after conducting local council polls despite attempts to stop it, the court directed the federal government not to make funds available to the state.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa, was quoted as saying that the OAGF will respect the court directive and not give the state any funds.
“What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the federal government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation.
“We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary, the status will remain,” Mokwa reportedly said on Friday.
Adedapo Adesanya