Wabara condemns Rivers allocation halt, warns of anarchy
Former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed his disappointment following a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja that mandates the cessation of statutory allocations to the Rivers State Government.
Describing the court’s decision as a display of judicial insensitivity and a potential spark for anarchy, the former Senate President said that “the judiciary has failed Nigeria.”
Senator Wabara who spoke exclusively with Vanguard, warned that the “ill-conceived court order is capable of cutting off Nigeria’s oil revenue” as youths in the state might be tempted to return to the creeks in response.
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He further argued that If the judiciary had handled Rivers’s crisis “professionally abinitio, instead of dishing out conflicting intentional orders and judgements, Rivers State wouldn’t have been in this judicial mess.”
“But for these intentional orders and judgments, INEC would have conducted an election to replace the 27 lawmakers who have constitutionally lost their seats”, Senator Wabara fumed.
He further thundered: ”These judges have gone haywire. Nigeria is gone! The judiciary has failed Nigeria. As far as I’m concerned, Nigeria is gone!
“Can they (judges) also give an order that the allocation meant for the judiciary be stopped?”
The former Senate President who recalled that he had earlier warned that the smouldering political crisis in Rivers, was capable of consuming Nigeria if unchecked, urged President Bola Tinubu to act fast.
“I had earlier advised President Tinubu to wade in and stop the mess in Rivers because this crisis in Rivers State , if not stopped, is capable of consuming Nigeria.
“Do they know that Rivers’ allocation is not for Gov. Siminalayi Fubara but for the development of the entire state? And what it means in essence, is that workers will not be paid and Government activities halted. Did the judge think of the multiplier effect on the peace and security of the state?
“I’m not a lawyer but I believe that certain judgments should follow logic, and not just somebody sitting down to issue a corrupt judgement. This judgment will just grind Rivers State to a halt, and by so doing, they are inviting anarchy and restiveness because the people might be tempted to go back to the creeks.
“By the time they stop the source of that money that Nigeria gathers to share every month, there will be no more revenue for the entire country to share again. Why must we take that risk?
“I’m in pain. I weep for this country. This is not the democracy we all anticipated. The CJN should intensify efforts in calling the judges to order. If she invited them just a few days ago to admonish them and this thing is happening, then it means there’s no hope for the country “.
The court presided by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a suit by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, found that Governor Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly breached constitutional protocol.
Justice Abdulmalik highlighted that since January, Rivers State has received and spent allocations based on an “illegitimate” budget, describing this as a “constitutional aberration.”
The court order further restricts the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the state’s accounts at Zenith Bank and Access Bank from releasing any funds to Gov. Fubara.
There has been nationwide condemnation against the judgment with the opposition lawmakers at the national Assembly describing it as the height of judicial rascality, and calling for a mass protest by Rivers people.
Proofreading by Fa’izatu Aliyu Doma, Journalist at Neptune Prime.
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