South South Threaten To Drag FG To Court For Deduction Of Allocations

South South Commissioner Of Justice Warns FG Not To Play Politics With Monthly Revenue Of South South States

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko has declared that South South States may sue the Federal Government for alleged deductions from its monthly allocations.

Describing the alleged deductions as a a violation of the constitution on procedure for sharing revenue from the federation account, Nwoko who spoke in an interview with newsmen today in Uyo, said the federal government should not play politics with allocations due to States.

He said, “And there is no reason that can justify their action. So I see it from the perspective of authoritarianism which is a clear violation of section 1:16 of the constitution which stated clearly the procedure for sharing revenue that accrues from the federation account at the end of each month.

“We the affected states particularly from the South South region are seriously contemplating legal action against the Federal Government to ensure that what is due to us is legitimately given to us. They should not play politics with funds that are due to states.

“A situation where the Federal Government seeks to withhold funds that are due to States which ought to be shared at the Federation Allocation Committee Meeting is a violation of the constitution and it is accumulating facts that could eventually justify impeachment proceedings against the President”

The issue of federal government withholding derivation funds of the state said to have negatively affected the economy of the state had been generating angry comments from Akwa Ibom citizens in the last few weeks.

In a similar stand, state governor Mr. Udom Emmanuel while addressing a Presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki (SAN) and his campaign team on Tuesday at the government house Uyo lamented that the development has brought financial constraint on his government.

“As at today, they’ve withheld all our derivation funds, we have not gotten anything out of the derivation for last month. Within two months, they have dropped the allocation of Akwa Ibom State by N6.8bn, so you can imagine how much I was able to get, all in the name of politics, he said.

“I am still trying to pay salaries for July. That is what is going on now, but I want to believe that if you come into power, you would never do that to opposition. You need opposition to govern well because if you don’t have constructive criticisms on what you are doing, you are heading towards destruction“, he added.