By Abiola Olawale
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declined to grant an ex-parte order barring Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State from spending government funds.
A faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule had approached the court in a lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, which seeks to bar Fubara from spending government funds.
The lawmakers believed to be loyal to a former Governor of Rivers state and the incumbent Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike also prayed to the court to grant an ex-parte order against Fubara pending the hearing and determining the suit.
Ruling on the motion ex parte, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite declined to grant the prayers, though he ordered the plaintiffs to put the defendants on notice.
Justice Nwite granted the motion ex parte to serve the 5th to 10th defendants in the matter by substituted means saying “the leave is hereby granted to the plaintiffs/applicants, to serve the 5th to 10th defendants/respondents with the plaintiffs/applicants’ originating, and any other process (es) filed or issued in this suit by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in the Nation Newspapers.”
The judge further adjourned the matter to the 7th of August to hear the motion on notice.
The 5th to 10th defendants are Fubara, Accountant-General of Rivers; Rivers Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC); Chief Judge of Rivers, Justice S.C. Amadi; Chairperson of RSIEC, Adolphus Enebeli and the Government of Rivers State respectively.
The 1st and 2nd plaintiffs the Rivers State House of Assembly and Martin Amaewhule, had filed the suit through their counsel, Joseph Daudu SAN against the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank PLC, and the Accountant General of the Federation as the 1st to 4th defendants, respectively.
It would be recalled that the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, during one of its sittings claimed that it had shut down all expenditures of Fubara.
The factional Assembly said the decision is hinged on the failure of Fubara to present the state’s budget before its faction of the House of Assembly.
However, the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, strongly rebuffed the declaration of the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
Oko-Jumbo declared that the Amaewhule-led has no legal standing to bar Fubara from spending government funds.
The New Diplomat reports that the Rivers State House of Assembly had been divided into factions following the acrimonious relationship between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
While the Oko-Jumbo-led House is believed to be loyal to Fubara, the Amaewhule-led House is believed to be loyal to Wike.
The two factions have also been holding parallel sittings. The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Amaewhule holds its sitting at the State Assembly official quarters along Aba Road, in Port Harcourt.
Also, the faction led by Oko-Jumbo holds its sitting at a Hallowed Chamber in the Government House, Port Harcourt.
It would be recalled also that Rivers State has been in the news for over eight months over the cold war between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
While the reasons for the acrimony between the duo remain top secret, some insider sources had said that Wike and Fubara had been purportedly battling for control of the oil-rich state’s resources and political machinery.
