Court halts sharing of derivation funds to oil states

By CHARLES ONYEKWERE
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the A c c o u n t a n t General of the Federation to immediately halt the distribution of more than One trillion naira due to oil-producing states pending the determination of the suit before it.
The court, presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammad, in an interim injunction held that the distribution of the derivation funds without the indices of the Revenue, Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) was injurious to the applicant which is the Imo State government.
Imo State attorney general and commissioner for Justice, had in a suit No FHC/ABJ/CE/415/2022, against RMAFC and others challenged the distribution of the said funds without unambiguous indices by RMAFC as provided by in Nigeria’s Constitution.
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In his submission before the court, counsel to lmo State Government, Chief Olusola Oke argued on the need to protect his client pending the determination of the suit.
After granting the exparte order, Justice Mohammed ordered the imo state to join other oil producing states as respondents to the suit. He consequently adjoined the matter to June 15,2022 for hearing of the motion on notice.