The Federal Government has officially announced that the monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) will no longer be disbursed to the Rivers State government. This decision follows a recent court order regarding the political situation in the state.
This announcement was confirmed by Bawa Mokwa, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. Mokwa explained that the Federal Government's decision is in line with a court ruling that affects Rivers State’s allocation. He also clarified that no state has received FAAC allocations for October as of yet, though he emphasized that the Federal Government is committed to complying with the court’s order specifically related to Rivers State’s allocation.
Mokwa was quoted saying, “What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation,” as reported by Daily Post.
This development comes amidst a political faceoff between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of Federal Capital Territory.
Recall that earlier this year, a court had ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government to halt the payment of FAAC revenue to Rivers State until Governor Fubara submits the state’s budget to the House of Assembly that is recognized by the law.
The court ruling, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Federal High Court, also prohibited the CBN, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from granting Governor Fubara access to funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.
More details will follow as the situation develops.
