Withholding Rivers FAAC funds could destabilize Niger Delta peace efforts, PANDEF warns FG
…calls for review of Supreme Court judgment
By Kunle Sanni
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has warned that the Supreme Court’s ruling halting the disbursement of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to Rivers State could undermine peace and reconciliation efforts in the Niger Delta.
On Friday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld an earlier Federal High Court decision barring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing monthly allocations to Rivers State.
The ruling also directed the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly to resume sitting and nullified the October 5, 2024, local government elections in the state.
Reacting to the ruling on Sunday, PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, cautioned that the decision could have severe economic and security consequences for the Niger Delta.
“Withholding FAAC funds from Rivers State could disrupt peace and reconciliation efforts in the region. The primary casualties of this judicial restraint will be the innocent citizens of Rivers State, for whom these funds serve as a lifeline for economic growth, social development, and infrastructure,” the statement read.
PANDEF stressed that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers should not be allowed to derail stability and progress in the oil-rich region. The group urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision in the interest of national unity and economic stability.
The forum also recalled a similar scenario during President Bola Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor when the federal government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld local government funds—a move widely criticized at the time.
“One wonders why such a precedent is being repeated on an even larger scale in the 21st century, with potentially grave implications for peace and security in the entire Niger Delta,” PANDEF noted.
The group called for an urgent political resolution that safeguards the rights and welfare of Rivers State residents, warning that withholding statutory funds could escalate tensions in the already fragile region.
