Court dismisses Rivers govt’s request to halt LG fund allocation suit

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the request by the Rivers State government to stay proceedings in a suit seeking to stop the allocation of funds to all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State.

The judge held that the request argued by Gordy Uche, SAN, on behalf of the Rivers State Government was frivolous, vexatious, unwarranted, and mischievous.

The Rivers State House of Assembly and Hon. Martin Amaewhule had dragged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before the court, praying for withholding of fund allocation to the Rivers state local governments.

The Rivers state government objected to the hearing of the suit in Abuja but was turned down by the court, prompting the state government to approach the Court of Appeal to intervene in the matter.

The state government filed an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1197/2024 and filed a motion seeking the Federal High Court to stay proceedings until its appeal is determined.

However, after taking arguments from the counsel to the state government and Joseph Daudu, SAN for the two plaintiffs, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the request to stop proceedings on the ground that it was unmeritorious and mischievous.

The court insisted on going ahead with hearing the suit.

Tribune