Court dismisses state govt’s request to halt funding suit for LGs
A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, has dismissed the Rivers State Government’s request to stay proceedings in a suit aimed at halting fund allocations to all local government areas in the state.
The ruling was delivered on October 25, 2024.
The case was initiated by the Rivers State House of Assembly and Hon. Martin Amaewhule, who brought the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before the court, requesting it to withhold fund allocations to the local governments.
The Rivers State Government challenged the hearing of the suit in Abuja, claiming it was not the appropriate jurisdiction, but the court rejected this objection.
In a bid to stall the proceedings, the state government then approached the Court of Appeal, filing an appeal and a motion seeking a stay of proceedings until the appeal could be resolved.
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However, after reviewing arguments presented by Joseph Daudu, the counsel for the state government, Justice Abdulmalik found the request to stay proceedings to be frivolous and unmeritorious.
The court asserted that it would continue with the hearing of the suit, highlighting its commitment to addressing the legal matter expediently.
This ruling underscores the court’s intention to ensure that the legal processes surrounding the funding of local governments in Rivers State are handled without unnecessary delays, despite the state government’s attempts to challenge the proceedings.
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