Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has raised serious concerns over a recent court ruling that halts federal allocations to Rivers State, calling it a worrisome action that could harm vulnerable citizens’ livelihoods.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Obi described the ruling as a troubling precedent.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing further monthly allocations to the Rivers State Government, citing alleged constitutional breaches by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Read Also: Fubara Reacts To Court Order Restricting Rivers Allocation
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that Governor Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly violated constitutional procedures.
Since January, according to Abdulmalik, Rivers State has been receiving and spending federal allocations based on an “illegitimate” budget, which she termed a “constitutional aberration.”
The court order also restricts the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, and Rivers State’s accounts with Zenith Bank and Access Bank from disbursing funds to the Fubara administration.
Reacting to this development on Friday, Obi stated, “In my political trajectory, I have consistently refrained from name-calling or engaging in personal disputes, choosing instead to focus on issues that directly impact the masses, particularly the suffering poor of Nigeria.
“Despite the national attention the Rivers State crisis has gained, I have largely stayed away from matters specific to a state, but a recent court judgment halting allocations to the state — and the resulting consequences — demands attention.
“This curious decision now calls upon every well-meaning Nigerian to appeal for its immediate reversal.”
Read Also: Atiku Reacts As Court Order Restricts Rivers Allocation
Obi highlighted the severe potential impact of the allocation suspension on pensioners, healthcare workers, teachers, civil servants, and ordinary citizens as his main reason for speaking out.
“Consider the pensioner struggling to survive on a meagre income alongside the health workers, school teachers, civil servants, and everyday citizens whose lives are already marked by severe hardship.
“How much more can they endure?” he wrote.
Obi further emphasized that this decision could deepen the distress and hardship faced by already struggling Nigerians.
“This latest development risks pushing them even further into distress —even into untimely deaths — by compounding the challenges they face each day.
“As leaders — whether in the executive, legislative, or judicial — our decisions and actions should be guided by a commitment to the well-being of the less privileged and vulnerable among us.
“As we work towards a better future for all, we must genuinely care about the poor and prioritise the well-being of every Nigerian.
“What we do today should lay the foundation for a new Nigeria that is possible,” he added.
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