BREAKING: FG halts Rivers allocation, cites court order

The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has withheld the October Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) payment to Rivers State due to an existing court order.

Bawa Mokwa, spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), announced the development, stating that the decision follows a court directive barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government from releasing funds to the Rivers State government.

The legal dispute stems from a case filed by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule. The faction alleged that Governor Simi Fubara’s administration had failed to comply with a Federal High Court ruling mandating the re-presentation of the 2024 appropriation bill to the Assembly.

Mokwa confirmed that the OAGF would continue to adhere to the court order until it is overturned by a higher authority.

The FAAC is responsible for distributing monthly revenue to the federal, state, and local governments, making the suspension a significant financial setback for Rivers State. The outcome of the ongoing legal and political disputes will determine when normal disbursements can resume.

He said, “What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation.

“We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary, the status will remain.”

He added, “The process of disbursement of the October 2024 monthly allocation is going.”