'Rivers State Will Suffer' - Fubara Meets Tinubu's Minister, Appeals Court Ruling Stopping Allocations
The Rivers State Government has filed an appeal against a recent Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from distributing federal allocations to the state.
Recall that on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Federal High Court declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara's presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly contradicted Constitutional provisions.
She criticized Fubara's ongoing receipt and use of monthly federal allocations since January, calling it a Constitutional violation that cannot be permitted.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that the implementation of an unauthorized budget by Fubara amounted to a severe breach of the 1999 Constitution.
The ruling also prohibited the CBN, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from granting Fubara access to funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
In delivering her judgment on the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2024, Justice Abdulmalik stated that the four-member House of Assembly faction supporting Fubara, which he cited to validate what she termed an "unlawful budget," had already been invalidated by the Federal High Court and the Abuja Court of Appeal.
The court reaffirmed that the Amaewhule-led Assembly remains the lawful legislative body, as ruled by the Federal High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal.
On Wednesday, the Government House in Port Harcourt saw heightened activity, with various groups, government officials, Peoples Democratic Party supporters, and other stakeholders gathering, resulting in significant traffic in the vicinity.
A widely circulated video captured a closed-door meeting at the Government House involving Finance Minister Wale Edun and other officials with Governor Fubara.
The state's Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, confirmed an appeal has been filed and expressed confidence that the Appeal Court would overturn the judgment.
He stated that signs indicating the likely outcome were clear, and they remain calm, having already challenged the Federal High Court's decision.
He told Newsmen, "We saw this judgment coming the way it did when the trial judge refused 23 council chairmen as joinders, refused the state to change their lawyer and refused our objection challenging jurisdiction of the federal high court."
Johnson added, "The judgment has already been appealed and l believe that the Court of Appeal will upturn the judgment. We are not panicked and there is no cause for alarm."
Johnson cautioned that if the Court of Appeal upholds the judgment, local government employees would be impacted.
He said, "If it is anything to reckon with it will impact negatively on the civil servants at the third tier of government, it will affect teachers' salaries and all that that are attached to the council salaries.
"So, I can imagine how anybody would advocate for the stopping of funds that will bring development to the local government councils and also pay those who work in the council.
"It's a legal problem and you cannot take it out of the court, particularly when you are a defendant. That is not how the law operates. This matter is one that the court will give justice to. So, let us stop all these shenanigans because it is not going to take us anywhere. It is the state that will suffer and, in this case, the local government staff."
Fuel Price Hike: 'We Are Ready' - Marketers Write Dangote Over Purchase Of Petrol
Oil marketers have renewed their interest in purchasing refined petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a $20 billion facility, following a recent statement by Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group.
Torizone reports that Dangote had highlighted that despite the refinery's production, oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were continuing to import fuel rather than sourcing it locally.
Expressing his concerns after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Dangote called on NNPCL and marketers to stop importing and start purchasing directly from his refinery. "We have the products they need," he emphasized, urging them to step forward.
In response, representatives from the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have stated their willingness to purchase directly from Dangote's refinery.
PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, mentioned that the association had reached out to the refinery, seeking a business meeting to establish buying terms and logistics.
However, PETROAN claims that despite their efforts to arrange a formal meeting, the refinery has yet to finalize discussions, leaving marketers without access to purchase.
"We're ready to patronize Dangote," Gillis-Harry told Newsmen, but noted they need a formal agreement to proceed.
Abubakar Maigandi, National President of IPMAN, expressed similar frustrations. He stated that despite paying N40 billion through NNPCL for fuel from the refinery, members encountered delays when attempting to load products, with some trucks waiting as long as four days.
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