The Nigerian government has announced the suspension of the October Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue payments to Rivers State, following the escalating conflict between Governor Simi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
This comes after the Nigerian government approved the release of N1.1411 trillion in October 2024 FAAC revenue for distribution among federal, state, and local governments.
However, reports indicate that Rivers State did not receive its share of the October FAAC revenue due to a court ruling that prohibited the Central Bank of Nigeria and the federal government from proceeding with the disbursement.
In response to these developments, Mokwa emphasized that the Office of the Accountant General will adhere to the court’s ruling.
He noted that as of the time of reporting, the October FAAC revenue had not yet been allocated to the respective states. “I have been informed that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will comply with the court order regarding the Rivers State allocation,” he stated.
“We will proceed with due diligence unless we receive a contrary order. If such an order is made, the current status will remain unchanged,” he added.
Mokwa further mentioned, “The process for disbursing the October 2024 monthly allocation is ongoing.”
It is important to recall that on October 30, a ruling by Justice Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court prohibited the Central Bank and the Nigerian government from disbursing monthly allocations to the Rivers State government.
This legal action stemmed from an originating summons filed by the factional Rivers State Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, which argued that the Rivers State Executive under Governor Simi Fubara had failed to comply with a previous Federal High Court directive to resubmit the 2024 appropriation bill to the Amaewhule-led faction.
In recent weeks, the Amaewhule faction, which has the backing of former Governor Wike, has been engaged in a political struggle against Fubara. Tensions escalated following Fubara’s assumption of the governorship, leading to a prolonged crisis in the oil-rich state.
