The judgment of Federal High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division that the allocation of Rivers State be withheld despite the several case pending in several courts challenging the legitimacy of the 26 lawmakers who defected from the People Democratic Party the platform on which they were elected to the All Progressive Congress has elicited mixed reactions that seem to undermine the integrity of the judiciary.
Majority of the people of Rivers State, Civil Society Organizations and opposition lawmakers, mostly those in the Federal House of Representatives have described the judgment delivered by Justice Abdulmalik Joyce as the height of judicial rascality that can be likened to an invitation to anarchy.
“The Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in Nigeria have described it as a height of judicial rascality, for the Abuja division of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Abdulmalik Joyce to issue orders for the seizure of the Statutory State Allocation, when the issues involved and surrounding the decamped pro wike sacked lawmakers legitimacy are still pending at the Appeal Court and Supreme Court.
The Opposition Coalition declared the judgment as a legal coup against the likely outcome of pending appeals at the Court of Appeal and Supreme court on the same subject matter. It is unenforceable and an attempt to unleash constitutional anarchy against a Federating State and independent branch of government that have constitutional responsibility to the people”.
The opposition lawmakers who stated this at a press conference by their National Spokesperson, Hon Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State said, described the judgment as a clear evidence that the Federal High Court have gone out of control and willing to do anything to favour the undemocratic interest of Wike’s groups to the extent of attempting to seize constitutional funds of a sovereign people in pursuit of political interest of one man.
How can a judge who knows very well that the decamped lawmakers have lost their seats, still go ahead to order for the allocation to be seized in favour of those who have lost their seat while the issues are pending at different courts on whether they should be parading as Lawmakers.
You want to use the Federal High Court to undermine democracy and constitutional governance. The issue of legality of their decampment is still in court and you are rushing to order that budget be presented to them as who?
The opposition lawmakers said that the decision of Justice Abdulmalik Joyce and Chief Justice of the Federal High Court John Toso to proceed with the case despite pending petition against the clear evidence of bias against them shows that there is more to the case than meets the ordinary eye. How can petition of bias and evidence be presented before you and you still proceeded.
How can you be aware that all the subject matters are before the Appeal Court and Supreme Court and you still went ahead to attempt to do harm and damage to innocent tax paying people of Rivers who did nothing. The Supreme Court have ruled on the sanctity of the LGA and State allocation as a sovereign wealth of the people that can’t be seized as such funds are constitutional and can only be spent on the authority of that State or LGA. If the head of the state or LGA is not spending it well or spending it without necessary compliance with laid down regulations, the constitution gives you power to impeach such officer, if you have the numbers and legitimacy. So because the pro-Wike group know they have lost the legitimacy to be called lawmakers or perform legislative functions, they now rushed to court to use the court to attempt to carry out a financial coup against the Rivers people. So after generating Oil revenue from the backyard of Rivers People, other states will take their own share home and the people that produced the revenue will starve to death because the Federal High Court wants to please the Pro Wike Group , and you think this will bring peace to Niger Delta? The allocation is not a political fund or money meant for Gov. Fubara but official revenue of the entire people that covers their economic, health, security and welfare needs.
Imagine a worker being denied his salary or monthly earning after working for 30 days, imagine oxygen been switched off from hospitals because one man wants to rain down anarchy and constitutional crisis just to attempt to capture the wealth of the people which does not belong to him by using Federal High Court to overthrow the express provisions of the Constitution by attempting to seize their constitutional revenue.
The pro-Wike group and the Federal High Court Abuja have shown that they are anarchist and anti-people and warming up to ignite anger and confusion that can consume the current democratic settings like the shameful crisis of the 60s and 80s. The president is now going to be at the receiving end if anything happens to the funds of people of Rivers State. President Tinubu should remember that his government in Lagos secured the Supreme Court judgment during his fight with Obasanjo, which barred the seizure of LGA allocation, so he doesn’t need to be reminded on what to do in the face of these manifest desire for constitutional anarchy by his appointees.
The opposition not only condemn the judgment which rubbished the Supreme Court exiting judgment that barrs the federal government or any organ of the federal government from seizing any State or LGA allocation but will do everything legally and humanly possible to ensure that the controversial ruling is quashed.
We have been informed that an appeal has been lodged against this anti-people judgment which is an invitation to anarchy. The opposition calls on Rivers people, workers and citizens to mobilise for a day of protest against the ongoing agenda to use the Federal High Court Abuja and selected judges to create constitutional crisis in Rivers State . Warning that the dark days of the 60s and 80s are been prepared by these actions of political desperadoes and their friends at the Federal High Court, have now reached a boiling point that the Rivers and Nigerian people will rise up and reject vehemently.
Rivers State is the treasure base of the nation and you can’t embark on a journey to starve the people and think peace can be maintained in such an atmosphere of anarchy.
Opposition is hopeful that upper courts will quash and throw into the Judicial dustbin these pro-Wike judgments which have become a huge embarrassment to the judiciary today and increased our people’s loss of confidence in the judiciary.
We wish to urge the people to stand firm and rally together to end all these Political madness aimed at burning down Rivers State.
