Obi bemoans FG for releasing Rivers allocation to Ibas
…says CBN, Accountant General setting dangerous precedent
By Tunde Opalana
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has knocked the Federal Government for releasing allocations accrue to the Rivers State government to the state sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas .
He said the judgement of the Supreme Court ordering the release of the state’s fund was not properly interpreted by the government before giving the Central Bank of Nigeria and the office of the Accountant general of the Federation the nod to release Rivers State fund to the sole administrator.
The Daily Times recalled that on Tuesday last week, President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in the state, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and all members of the State House of Assembly for six months and eventually appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the Sole Administrator.
On Friday, Ibas confirmed in Port Harcourt that the withheld allocations have been released.
Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in a statement made available to the media in Abuja on Monday said “the decision to release statutory allocations to an appointed Sole Administrator, despite a standing order of the Supreme Court, is not just unlawful — it is a direct challenge to the authority of the highest court of our country.
READ ALSO: How Pipe Company NELMACO, supported Plateau in World Water Day Celebration
“The Supreme Court had explicitly barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing these funds until a properly constituted House of Assembly passed a valid Appropriation Act.
“Yet, we see a situation where this order is being ignored. This raises serious moral intentions, and questions of what is happening in Rivers State.
“By disregarding the judgment of the Supreme Court, those involved are setting a dangerous precedent. The CBN and AGF, institutions meant to uphold the law, should not be complicit in this disregard for our judiciary. We cannot build a nation where those who swore oaths to uphold our constitution and obey the laws are doing the opposite.
“This is about more than just Rivers State; it is about protecting the very fabric of our democracy, and our existence as a nation.
“A country cannot function where the rule of law is trampled upon, where the separation of powers is disregarded, and where judicial decisions are treated as mere suggestions.
“If we continue this way, we are undermining the future of our democracy. We must choose to do the right thing — to respect the law and uphold the principles that bind us as a nation”.
