In the wake of a Federal High Court ruling halting federal allocations to Rivers State, human rights lawyer Festus Ogwuche has questioned the jurisdiction under which the case was handled, suggesting that the matter might more appropriately fall within the scope of the State High Court.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News from 7:18, Ogwuche explained that while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other federal institutions involved confer some jurisdiction on the Federal High Court, the subject of state resource allocations complicates the matter.
“The jurisdiction of the Court…I can say that the Court has jurisdiction because the CBN is a party. The other federal institutions are party, but that alone does not confer jurisdiction,” he noted. According to Ogwuche, federal institutions’ involvement is not sufficient grounds for federal jurisdiction, as the matter directly pertains to state resources.
He argued that these federal entities act as “cosmetic” additions and do not alter the subject’s core jurisdiction, which should ideally reside within the State High Court. “The members that went to the Federal High Court should have brought it before the State High Court,” he asserted, implying that the procedural choice could impact the legitimacy and interpretation of the ruling.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, bars Rivers State from accessing federal funds through the CBN, a decision that has fueled debate over the boundaries of federal and state judicial authority.