… Demand Non Release Of Federation Allocation
Barely thirteen (13) days after the illegal passage of the 2014 Rivers State budget by a faction of the State Assembly headed by the impeached Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree, Boma Goodhead, the younger sister to the leader of the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo has instituted a legal action against the Attorney General of Rivers State, Mr. Worgu Boms before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Also joined in the suit are: the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation And Fiscal Commission, and the Minister for Finance. The legal action was instituted in the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/26/2014.
Goodhead instituted the legal action alongside with one Ajenyanate Samuel and the Incorporated Trustees of Kengema Unity Forum, under the leadership of Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich alias Egberipapa.
Goodhead through her counsel, Barr. Tubotamuno Dick Esq told the court that going by the provisions of the legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap L12 LFN, the factional legislators have no legal standing to pass a state budget in the Government House. The counsel stressed on the doctrine of the Separation of Powers and described the said passage of the budget as “unconstitutional”.
Goodhead asked the rational behind passing the 2014 budget in Government House. She demanded the defendants not to release monies accruable to Rivers state from the Federation Allocation and indeed, put on hold any accrue to Rivers State from any other sources over which they are empowered to oversee so as to ensure such accrual are not unconstitutionally or illegally used to finance the invalid Rivers State 2014 Appropriation Law pending the determination of this suit”.
The counsel declared that the acts of both the Rivers State Governor and the Assembly members loyal to him negated the Principles of Separation of Powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The lawyer said that no reason would be canvassed to justify the sitting of the legislative Arm of government to sit in the Government House. He prayed the court to declare the purported passage of the budget “unconstitutional, illegal and invalid”. ###
