…Says stopping Rivers’ allocation recipe for anarchy
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Former Senate President and the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has knocked the judiciary over the court judgment which ordered the seizure of statutory allocations to Rivers State Government.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to seize allocations coming to Rivers State.
The court presided by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a suit by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, found that Governor Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly breached constitutional protocol.
Reacting to the development, Senator Wabara expressed disappointment over the judgement saying that “the judiciary has failed Nigeria.”
Describing the judgment as judicial insensitivity and an invitation to anarchy, Senator Wabara cautioned against questionable court orders.
According to Senator Wabara, “this ill -conceived court order is capable of cutting off Nigeria’s oil revenue.”
He said the judgment was capable of pushing Rivers youths back to the creeks.
Wabara argued that if the judiciary had handled Rivers crisis “professionally ab-initio, instead of dishing out conflicting intentional orders and judgments, Rivers State wouldn’t have been in this judicial mess.”
“But for these intentional orders and judgments, INEC would have conducted election to replace the 27 lawmakers who have constitutionally lost their seats,” Senator Wabara fumed.
“These judges have gone haywire. Nigeria is gone! The judiciary has failed Nigeria. As far as I’m concerned, Nigeria is gone!
“Can they also give an order that the allocation meant for the judiciary be stopped?”
Senator Wabara warned that the political crisis in Rivers “is capable of consuming Nigeria if not quickly resolved.
He, therefore, urged President Bola Tinubu to rise to the occasion.
“I had earlier advised President Tinubu to wade in and stop the mess in Rivers because this crisis in Rivers State, if not stopped, is capable of consuming Nigeria.
“Do they know that Rivers’ allocation is not for Gov. Siminalayi Fubara but for the development of the entire state? And what it means in essence, is that workers will not be paid and Government activities halted. Did the judge think of the multiplier effect on the peace and security of the state?
“I’m not a lawyer but I believe that certain judgments should follow logic, and not just somebody sitting down to issue a corrupt judgement. This judgment will just grind Rivers State to a halt, and by so doing, they are inviting anarchy and restiveness because the people might be tempted to go back to the creeks.
“By the time they stop the source of that money that Nigeria gathers to share every month, there will be no more revenue for the entire country to share again. Why must we take that risk?
“I’m in pains. I weep for this country. This is not the democracy we all anticipated. The CJN should intensify efforts in calling the judges to order. If she invited them just few days ago to admonish them and this thing is happening, then it means there’s no hope for the country.”
