By Abiola Olawale
The ongoing political upheaval in Rivers State continues to intensify, showing no indications of resolution or relief.
This is as the Federal Government affirmed that it will not disburse the monthly revenue from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to Rivers State in October.
This decision comes in the wake of a continuing conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The Spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, made this disclosure while speaking to the DAILY POST on Friday.
The New Diplomat reported that the Nigerian Government on Wednesday announced the approval for the disbursement of N1.1411 trillion as the October 2024 Federation Accounts Allocation Revenue to Federal, State, and local government councils.
However, Mokwa said the OAGF will not disburse Rivers’ share, maintaining that the agency is respecting a subsisting court order on FAAC allocation to Rivers State.
He stated: “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.”
It would also be recalled that on October 30, Justice Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian government from disbursing monthly allocations to the Rivers State government.
The judge granted the order while ruling on an originating summons filed by the factional Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule.
The Amaewhule led group of legislators had filed a case against Fubara for his alleged failure to comply with the order of an initial ruling from a Federal High Court directing him to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Recall that Fubara and Wike have been locked in a titanic battle for control of the political structure of the state as well as its economic fortunes.
The raging feud between the duo has triggered political turmoil in Rivers state, culminating in conflicting and multiple court orders and polarization of the Rivers State House of Assembly into two factions; Pro-Fubara and Pro-Wike.
In December 2023, Fubara and Wike signed an eight-point peace deal purportedly to address the raging feud.
The peace deal was signed at the presidential villa in Abuja after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu. However, since the development, the crisis in Rivers State has continued unabated with worsening dimensions.
