The Nigerian government has confirmed that it has suspended the October monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue payment to Rivers State amid the ongoing dispute between Governor Simi Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
This was revealed by Bawa Mokwa, spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), in a statement to newsmen on Friday.
This development follows the Nigerian government’s approval on Wednesday for the disbursement of N1.1411 trillion as the October 2024 FAAC revenue to federal, state, and local government councils.
However, reports emerged suggesting that the October FAAC revenue was withheld from Rivers State due to a court order that stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government from carrying out the disbursement.
In response, Mokwa confirmed that the OAGF, as a government agency, will comply with the court order.
He further stated that as of the time of the report, the October 2024 FAAC revenue had not been distributed to the respective states. Mokwa added, “We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary order, the status will remain.”
It was also noted that the process of disbursing the October 2024 monthly allocation is still ongoing.
The court order, issued by Justice Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court on October 30, 2024, prohibits the CBN and the federal government from disbursing monthly allocations to Rivers State.
