The Counsel to the Rivers State 27 lawmakers, Ogwu Onoja has alleged that the Federal High court ruling has significant implications for the financial operations of the Rivers State government. He identified that the court has mandated that an appropriation bill must be passed before the Martins Amaewhule’s House of Assembly before any money can be drawn from the state’s Consolidated Fund.
He firmly declared that the ruling will be swiftly implemented as they plan to directly serve the judgment to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant fund allocation agencies. He argued that this is to ensure that these bodies refrain from authorizing any fund allocation to the state government. He further noted that if an appropriation bill is not passed within 6 months, the state government is not authorized to collect revenue from the Consolidated Fund.
He said in an interview with Symfoni TV, ‘The position of the court is clearly stipulated on what should be done before the state can spend money. And it’s clear there that no money shall be appropriated without an appropriation bill being passed by the House of Assembly. It’s very clear from the Judgment of Omotosho, which was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, that the budget was not properly passed in a situation like that.
And if it’s not passed within 6 months, Rivers State is not supposed to collect revenue from a Consolidated Fund, and that is the provision of the law. That’s what the court has confirmed today – that the Rivers State government has not complied with the constitutional requirement on appropriation of bills for expenditures and all the things they need to do in the state government. So, it’s clearly stated that the Court cannot continue to allow this infraction to continue. This judgment is to put to rest the impunity going on in Rivers State relating to expenditure. We are going to implement the judgment. We are going to serve the judgment to CBN and other funds allocation agencies who are supposed to give authority to spend money.’’
Peoplesmind
