By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Justice Bello Kawo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained both the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance from remitting funds to the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra State from the Federation Account, pending the determination of a suit that was brought before it.
This is coming, following an exparte application filed before the Court by a legal practitioner, Mr. Chukwuebuka Mmeni.
The suit, which was supported by oral submission by the applicant’s Counsel, Barr. N. O. Okpe, has first to fifth defendants to include the Accountant General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General of the Federation, Anambra State Government, and the EFCC.
The Court, presided over by Justice Kawo, granted all the prayers that were sought by the Applicant, upon reading through the exparte motion, a nine paragraphs affidavit/annexures, among which is barring the 21 Local Government Areas in the State from receiving allocations from the consolidated revenue funds.
In addition to the restriction, the Court also ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe how funds that accrued to the 21 local government areas in the state from March 2022 to April 2024, were deployed and used by the State Government, headed by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
Recall that the members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), last weekend, nominated three persons each in every local government area in Anambra State, from whom Governor Soludo would choose one person each and appoint as the Transition Committee Chairman of their respective local government areas.
