Victor EzejaHuman rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, has criticised the decision of the Federal Government to release Rivers State withheld allocations to the new sole administrator.
The Supreme Court had on 28 February while ruling on the political crisis in Rivers State, ordered the Accountant General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold statutory allocations meant for Rivers State because Governor Siminalayi Fubara did not recognise the House of Assembly led by Hon. Martin Amaewhule, and did not present the budget before the said House for passage.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe apex Court mandated the governor to present the 2025 appropriation bill to the State Assembly for consideration and approval.
The governor said he took steps to implement the Supreme Court judgement, including presenting the budget but his efforts were frustrated by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who are locked in a power struggle with Fubara for almost two years.
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While the political intrigues and drama between the governor and the State Assembly lawmakers continued, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night declared a statement of emergency in the state.
The president suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the state assembly members for an initial period of six months. He subsequently appointed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), to take over leadership of the oil-rich state and restore stability.
READ ALSO: Declaration Of Emergency Rule In Rivers A Recipe For Anarchy – Kwankwaso
Speaking during a meeting with Heads of Local Government Administrators in Port Harcourt on Friday, Ibas confirmed that the Federal Government has released the withheld allocations to the state.
The sole administrator who expressed concern over the delay in salary payments across local government areas, promised to ensure that salaries of workers are not delayed under his leadership.
In a statement on his X handle on Friday, Inibehe Effiong queried the legal basis for releasing the withheld allocations by the Federal Government to the new administration in Rivers State.
The legal expert, who had earlier condemned the proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers State, expressed shock over the decision of Tinubu’s government to release the withheld allocations to the Sole Administrator, who he described as “an impostor concocted capriciously by the President.”
He expressed surprise that the 2025 budget is yet to be presented to the State Assembly lawmakers but Tinubu’s government has released the withheld allocations.
“So, the allocations were withheld because there was no House of Assembly or the Governor did not recognse the House, and did not present the budget, but you have now suspended both the Governor and the House and proceeded to appoint a Sole Administrator and handed over allocations to the Sole Administrator.”
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“If it was right for the allocations to be withheld because there was no House of Assembly or due to the governor’s refusal to present the budget before the House, on what legal, moral, or logical basis are you releasing the same allocations to a Sole Administrator after suspending the Governor and the House?” he asked.
“Is the Sole Administrator a constitutional substitute for the House of Assembly and the Governor?
“Which budget will the Sole Administrator now use to appropriate the allocations of Rivers State?
The legal expert maintained that “State funds and allocations cannot be appropriated without being enabled by an Appropriation Law. Sections 120 and 121 of the Constitution are very explicit on this.”
