Rivers crisis: Supreme Court restores Amaewhule as speaker

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the Rivers House of Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule as the authentic and legally constituted lawmaking body in the state.

A five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji gave the order in a lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim.

The apex court also restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from further releasing budgetary allocations to Rivers until a valid Appropriation Act is passed by a lawfully constituted house of assembly.

In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the panel ordered that Amaewhule and the other 26 members of the assembly, who were alleged to have defected, should be allowed to resume legislative duties unhindered.

The Supreme Court further ordered that all members of the House of Assembly are to resume normal legislative business without any hindrance to any members.

Justice Agim condemned the conduct of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who he said chose to destroy the government of Rivers and resort to acting unlawfully by pulling down the house of assembly owing to his fear that there were moves to impeach him.

The apex court set aside the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, in which the appellate court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction on cases relating to funds belonging to Rivers.

The panel equally awarded a cost of N5 million against Fubara and the Government of Rivers to be paid to the Rivers House of Assembly and Amaewhule. (NAN)