In light of the ongoing dispute between Governor Simi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesome Wike, the Nigerian government has acknowledged that it has halted the October monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC revenue transfer to Rivers State.
This was revealed exclusively on Friday by Bawa Mokwa, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
This comes as the Nigerian government approved the distribution of N1.1411 trillion to federal, state, and local government councils as the October 2024 Federation Accounts Allocation Revenue on Wednesday.
But according to a source, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian government were prevented by a court from disbursing FAAC funds to Rivers State in October.
In response, Mokwa stated that the OAGF, as a government organization, will abide by the court’s ruling.
He added that as of the report’s filing, the states had not received their share of the October monthly FAAC revenue.
According to what I understand, the FAAC for October 2024 has not yet been sent out. The Federal Government will, however, abide by the court’s ruling regarding Rivers State allocation.
As long as there isn’t a directive to the contrary, we will exercise due diligence. “The status will remain in the event of a contrary,” he said.
“The October 2024 monthly allocation disbursement process is underway,” he continued.
Remember how the Federal High Court’s Justice Abdulmalik prohibited the Nigerian government and CBN from giving the Rivers State government monthly allocations on October 30 of this year?
This follows the fragmented Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, filing an originating summons.
The Amaewhule case was founded on the claim that the Rivers State Executive, led by Simi Fubara, had not yet complied with a Federal High Court ruling requiring it to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly group led by Amaewhule.
The Amaewhule faction, supported by former Rivers State Governor Wike, had been engaged in a political conflict with Fubara during the previous month.
Remember how Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, broke out when he was elected governor? This caused a month-long crisis in the oil-rich state.