Annkio Briggs Fumes, Says Court Order Stopping Allocations To Rivers Wicked Conspiracy Against Rivers People
3 min read- State Govt Considers Redress At Appeal Court
A frontline activist and Ijaw leader, Annkio Briggs is not happy with Wednesday’s judgement of a federal high court in Abuja, stopping allocations from the federation accounts to Rivers State Government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in giving the order, said the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, should not release any funds from the consolidated account to the state government.
The judge said the refusal of the governor, Sim Fubara, to re-present the 2024 budget to the house of assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, in line with an order of court, was an affront on the constitution.
Reacting to the judgement in an interview with TNN, Briggs said it was unfortunate that those she called enemies of the state would go to the extent of moving to cripple the state. She however said the state would survive.
Briggs recalled that under the Bola Tinubu regime as governor of Lagos State, a similar attack was launched against the state, but was reversed by the apex court, before Tinubu could heave a sigh of relief, even though the Lagos State government was still running while the case lasted.
The activist said Rivers people were not likely to keep quiet and watch as the entire state is stifled. She lamented that the fight over political power involving the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike had taken this frightening dimension, with workers and service delivery likely to suffer as a result.
She said “this is political wickedness perpetrated against the people of Rivers State. You are denying the whole of Rives State monies. The judiciary has decided to be one of the weapons politicians use against the people of Rivers State.
“Anybody in the judiciary, whether as a lawyer or judge and you do not see anything wrong with this judgement that is against Rivers people, then you are part of the problem of Rivers people.
“This thing is dangerous. What is happening to Rivers people is not going to end the way the judiciary think it will end. It is not going to end the way the president thinks it is going to end or the way the FCT minister and his group thinks it is going to end.
“It is not going to end like that. They are just a handful of people. The rest of the people of Rivers State will not fold their hands and watch them.”
She said the moves to secure or procure judgements in Abuja courts against the people of the state were in themselves lawlessness. Briggs said despite the organized judiciary attacks on the state, the government and the people would still survive.
Meanwhile, TNN learnt on Wednesday that the state government is already taking steps to appeal against the judgement. An official position is also to be released soon, according to the commissioner for information, Mr Joe Johnson.