A Federal High Court ruling in Abuja has sparked controversy, with Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi criticizing the decision to bar financial allocation to Rivers State.
On Wednesday, Presiding Judge, Joyce Abdulmalik ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop disbursing funds to the Rivers state government until a lawful appropriation act is passed by a validly constituted House of Assembly.
The suit was filed by Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly, challenging Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a five-member assembly deemed “not properly constituted.”
Obi however reacted via X, emphasizing the need for leaders to prioritize citizens’ well-being.
“In my political trajectory, I have consistently refrained from name-calling or engaging in personal disputes, choosing instead to focus on issues that directly impact the masses, particularly the suffering poor of Nigeria,” Obi wrote on Friday.
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He expressed concern that the order may inflict additional hardship on vulnerable Nigerians, including pensioners, health workers, teachers, and civil servants.
“Consider the pensioner struggling to survive on a meager income… How much more can they endure?
“This latest development risks pushing them even further into distress—even into untimely deaths—by compounding the challenges they face each day,” Obi added.
Obi further urged leaders to prioritize the poor and vulnerable, stating that present efforts should lay the foundation for a better Nigeria.
