Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has voiced strong concerns over the recent court decision suspending federal allocations to Rivers State.
In a statement on Friday via X, Obi described it as a troubling development that threatens the livelihoods of vulnerable citizens.
On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja barred the Central Bank of Nigeria from disbursing further monthly allocations to the Rivers State Government, citing alleged constitutional violations by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In her ruling on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik 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 Fubara.
Reacting to this development on Friday, Obi stated, “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.
“Despite the national attention the Rivers State crisis has gained, I have largely stayed away from matters specific to a state, but a recent court judgment halting allocations to the state — and the resulting consequences — demands attention.
“This curious decision now calls upon every well-meaning Nigerian to appeal for its immediate reversal.”
Obi cited the dire potential impact of the allocation suspension on pensioners, health workers, school teachers, civil servants, and everyday citizens as a primary reason for speaking out.
“Consider the pensioner struggling to survive on a meagre income alongside the health workers, school teachers, civil servants, and everyday citizens whose lives are already marked by severe hardship.
“How much more can they endure?” he wrote.
Obi further stressed that this decision could push already struggling Nigerians into further distress and hardship.
“This latest development risks pushing them even further into distress —even into untimely deaths — by compounding the challenges they face each day.
“As leaders — whether in the executive, legislative, or judicial — our decisions and actions should be guided by a commitment to the well-being of the less privileged and vulnerable among us.
“As we work towards a better future for all, we must genuinely care about the poor and prioritise the well-being of every Nigerian.
“What we do today should lay the foundation for a new Nigeria that is possible,” he added.