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EXPLAINER: Lawyer gives details of court verdict barring CBN from allocating funds to Rivers govt(Video)
Counsel to the Rivers State authentic lawmakers, James Onoja, SAN has vividly explained the federal high court verdict that barred CBN from allocating funds to Rivers State government.
Onoja in a chat with journalists said’ “One must commend the court for the time and industry put in this judgment, in spite of all the sentiments, in spite of all the intimidations, in spite of all the volley of voices challenging whether the court should go ahead or not, the court delivered its judgment.
“This is a judgment that touches on the constitutional powers of the court and on the extant provisions of the constitution.
“The issues are very clear, let us explain it in a very clear terms; sections 120, 121, 122 and 123 of the constitution clearly stipulated what should be done before the state can spend money, state expenditure.
“And it is clear there that no money shall be appropriated without an appropriation bill being passed by the House of Assembly.
“It is very clear from the judgment of Omotosho which was confirmed by the Court of Appeal that the budget was not properly passed and in a situation like that, if it is not passed within six months, a state is not supposed to collect revenue from the consolidated funds.
He further explained: “That is the issue of law here, that is the extant provisions of the law and that is what the court has confirmed that the Rivers State government has not complied with the requirements of the constitution on appropriation of bills for expenditures and all the things that they need to do in the state government. It is a very clear judgment.
“And then also looking at all the other judgments that has been passed in respect of Rivers State government, it is clear from this judgment which also relies on the judgment of the Court of Appeal that the state government is in violation of the extant provisions of the constitution relating to expenditure and passing of the bill for expenditure.
A further look into the case clearly showed that there’s no basis for comparing what happened during the reign of Governor Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu had created extra local governments and the then President Olusegun Obasanjo unilaterally stop tĥè release of LG funds to the state insisting that he reverts to the constitutionally recognised LGAs.
Lagos state approached the courts anð and the court held that President Obasanjo has no right to stop LGA allocations.
In the case of Rivers State, the governor has been spending public funds without an Appropriation Act for 11 months.
APC challenged the State government thàt same was unconstitutional and the court agreed that it was unconstitutional to spend without appropriation. The State government was ordered to go and do the right thing by presenting the budget before the proper assembly, pending which the Governor is restrained from further expenditure until he obeys.
Doing the right thing simply means you have to go back to the State Assembly to seek approval or you shut down government.
Its worthy to notè thàt this same Governor like President Obasanjo unilaterally seized 21 LGAs monthly allocation for five months and has stopped paying state assembly service còmmission staff and the 27 members and their aides for 12 months, since the crisis started.
The judgement is the law in a democratic society. The 27 Member Assembly is authentic until the Federal High Court and court of appeal judgments are set aside by the supreme Court.
WATCH:
The world’s tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman met for the first time this week, sipping tea from china cups — and bonding over what they have in common while celebrating their differences.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, stands at 7 feet and 0.7 inches, while Jyoti Amge, from India, is 2 feet and 0.7 inches.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
“You’re so beautiful,” said Gelgi, 27. “Thank you — you too,” replied Amge, 30.
Their meeting, over afternoon tea at London’s Savoy Hotel on Tuesday, came ahead of Guinness World Records Day, which is held annually in November to mark record-breaking achievements and encourage people to attempt records. The pair have been honored as “World Record icons” in the 70th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Records book.
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“Meeting Jyoti for the first time was wonderful,” Gelgi said in a release Wednesday. “She’s the most gorgeous lady. I was waiting to meet her for a long time.”
Gelgi said the pair bonded over their love for makeup, jewelry and doing their nails.
Video footage showed them sitting down for tea, cakes and sandwiches stacked next to them, with the London Eye visible from the window.
Amge said in the release that she was “so happy to look up” and see the world’s tallest woman, whom she called “good-natured.” She added that it was difficult at times for the pair to make eye contact “due to our height difference.”
“Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences,” its editor in chief, Craig Glenday, said in a statement ahead of Guinness World Record Day, which is on Thursday.
“By bringing together these two amazing, iconic women, they can share their perspectives on life with each other and, also, with us,” Glenday said.
Gelgi’s record-breaking height is due to a rare genetic condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes rapid growth, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
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The primary symptom is growth and bone development that occurs faster than usual, making those affected taller than average. People with Weaver syndrome may have rigid muscles and difficulty extending their elbows or knees.
Gelgi used a walking aid for support during the pair’s meeting. Her case of Weaver syndrome was the 27th ever diagnosed and the first in Turkey, according to Guinness World Records.
Weaver syndrome is generally caused by changes in the EZH2 gene, according to the NORD, though the organization notes that some people with Weaver syndrome do not have a mutation in the gene.
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Amge, an actor who played the character of Ma Petite in the television series “American Horror Story,” has a genetic growth disorder that occurs in the early stages of fetal development, known as achondroplasia.
According to Johns Hopkins, the condition causes shorter bones, abnormally shaped bones and shorter stature. While the genetic defect can be passed from parent to child, in about 80 percent of cases, achondroplasia results from a spontaneous mutation that occurs in the developing embryo.
On Thursday, Gelgi shared photos on Instagram of the two exploring London despite the cold weather, posing side by side in front of Tower Bridge.
See Photos of World’s Tallest and Shortest Women Meet for Afternoon Tea in London
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