Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has commended the Supreme Court for its judgment barring the release of funds to the Rivers State Government until the State House of Assembly is properly constituted.
The judgment reaffirmed the supremacy of the law and marked an end to “impunity” in the state, according to Wike.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Accountant-General of the Federation must withhold financial allocations to Rivers State. A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Emmanuel Agim, also affirmed the Martins Amaewhule-led assembly as the legitimate legislature for the state.
Wike praised the judiciary for being “bold and firm” in saying no to impunity. He also commended his legal team for their efforts in securing the ruling. The judgment follows an earlier decision by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who ordered the CBN to stop further disbursements to the state government.
The Supreme Court imposed a ₦5 million fine against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and reaffirmed the 27 lawmakers as the rightful members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court also ordered that the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers Assembly, who were unlawfully removed, be reinstated along with other legislative staff.