It was a significant win for Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Friday, as the Appeal Court in Abuja overturned all orders barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) from disbursing funds to the state government.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Hamman Barka, ruled that the matter did not fall within the court’s jurisdiction regarding the state’s revenue.
While granting the appeal of the Rivers State Government, the appellate court also quashed all orders issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, stating that it was unconstitutional for her to impose restrictions on the Rivers State government from receiving funds allocated to the state from its consolidated revenue fund.
The appellate court concluded that the lower court had overstepped its bounds and lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In October, Justice Abdulmalik of the Abuja Federal High Court had ruled that the receipt and distribution of monthly allocations by Fubara since January this year was a violation of the Constitution and an anomaly that must not be allowed to continue.
