Abuja, November 1, 2024 — Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has expressed deep concerns over a recent court decision suspending federal allocations to Rivers State, warning of severe repercussions for the state’s most vulnerable citizens. In a statement shared on Friday via X, Obi described the ruling as “troubling” and urged its reversal to prevent further hardship for residents reliant on state-funded services.

The court’s decision, issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, halts the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing monthly allocations to Rivers State. The suspension stems from alleged constitutional violations tied to Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a diminished four-member House of Assembly. Justice Abdulmalik deemed the budget’s approval process as a “constitutional aberration,” noting that the state had been spending allocations based on what she described as an “illegitimate” budget since January.

Alongside blocking CBN allocations, the order prohibits the Accountant General of the Federation and Rivers State’s accounts with Zenith Bank and Access Bank from releasing funds to the Fubara administration.

Obi, who typically refrains from commenting on state-specific controversies, voiced concern over the impact this decision could have on the state’s essential service providers. “Consider the pensioner struggling to survive on a meagre income, alongside health workers, school teachers, civil servants, and everyday citizens whose lives are already marked by severe hardship. How much more can they endure?” he questioned in his statement.

He called on all “well-meaning Nigerians” to advocate for an immediate reversal of the ruling, emphasizing that suspending these funds risks pushing already struggling citizens into “further distress — even untimely deaths.” Obi underscored the need for leaders across government branches to prioritize the well-being of vulnerable Nigerians, asserting that decisions affecting the masses must reflect a commitment to the nation’s less privileged.

“What we do today should lay the foundation for a new Nigeria that is possible,” he concluded.