Court adjourns LGs suit against Rivers Govt, AGF, Police, others to May 22

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, connected Thursday adjourned proceeding successful the suit seeking to halt the Rivers State Government from withholding the fiscal allocations of the 42 Local Government Councils successful the state, to May 22.

The justice adjourned the substance to alteration parties already served with the court’s documents respond accordingly, conscionable arsenic helium ordered work connected the 1st to 4th and 6th respondents who were neither successful tribunal nor represented by immoderate lawyer.

It volition beryllium recalled that Justice Omotosho, portion ruling successful an ex-parte exertion past week refused to contented an interim bid against the Rivers State authorities and different respondents pending the proceeding of the main suit.

The justice who ordered the plaintiffs to enactment the respondents connected announcement however, ordered each parties to support presumption quo by not doing thing that would render the suit nugatory.

When the substance was called connected Thursday, portion the 1st – 4th and 6th were absent successful court, M. N. Umoh, Olumide Fusika, SAN, Damian Okoro, SAN, and Sammie Somiari, SAN, appeared for the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th respondents respectively.

The 4 lawyers each admitted work of tribunal bid to support presumption quo and asked for clip to respond, adding that they are inactive wrong the clip allowed by instrumentality to record their responses.

When asked by the justice if they were besides served with the court’s bid directing each parties to support presumption quo, each but the 5th suspect admitted service.

Justice Omotosho told the respondents that helium had declined to assistance the interim bid but aft plaintiffs’ counsel, Clement Ijom stated that salaries of teachers, superior wellness workers and different section authorities unit beryllium connected the allocation, helium past ordered parties to support presumption quo pending the proceeding and determination of the matter.

Subsequently, the justice ordered the respondents to record successful their responses, portion the suit is served connected the remaining respondents.

The Inspector General (IG) of Police, Commissioner of Police (CP) Rivers, Director General (DG) State Security (SSS), Director SSS Rivers, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chairman Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Rivers State Government, AG Rivers State and Finance Commissioner successful Rivers are 1st to 9th respondents respectively.

The plaintiffs connected the different manus include; Dr Chidi LLoyd, Chairman, Emohua Local Government, Hon Alwell Ihunda Chairman, Port Harcourt Local goyvernment, Dr Nwanosike Samuel, Ikwerre Local Government, amongst others.

They are sueing the respondents implicit the fiscal allocation to the assembly arsenic good arsenic their idiosyncratic security.

Pending the proceeding and determination of their question connected announcement for interlocutory injunction, the plaintiffs had filed an ex-parte exertion seeking to restrain the Rivers State Government from withholding their fiscal allocation.

They had besides prayed the tribunal to restrain the information agencies from withdrawing the information unit attached to them.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/537/2024, and filed by their lawyer, Aliyu Hussein, the section authorities Chairmen, besides sought an bid prohibiting the defendants from preventing the enforcement oregon implementation of the recently amended Rivers State Local Government Law N:5 of 2024 pending the determination of the motion.

In a 33 paragraph affidavit successful enactment of the exertion deposed to by Dr Chidi LLoyd, Chairman of Emohua Local Government, the applicants claimed to person been duly elected successful a democratically conducted predetermination for a word of 3 years nether the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government Law.

They asserted that they are autonomous and constitutionally recognized arsenic 1 of the tiers of the authorities and that Rivers State House of Assembly Enacted Rivers State Amended Law to usher their affairs and activities.

They claimed that Rivers State Government, AG and Finance Commissioner who are not blessed with the amended instrumentality person approached the IGP, CP, DG SSS and Director SSS seeking the withdrawal of policing and different information services from them successful bid to frustrate the implementation of the amended law.

The Chairmen alleged that the Police Commissioner successful the authorities who has the work to counsel the IG connected the policing and information needs of Rivers State is nether important power of Rivers State Government and would instrumentality the directive of the authorities government.

They further asserted that it would beryllium intolerable for them to transportation retired their respective functions and duties without the policing and information services of the IG.

The Council chairmen asked the tribunal to restrain the defendants particularly the Rivers State Government from taking the instrumentality into its hand.

They promised to undertake to wage for damages if their suit turns to beryllium frivolous.