Court stops CBN, AGF from withholding Kano LG funds

A Kano State High Court has restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Accountant-General of Federal (AGF), and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) from withholding the 44 Kano State Local Governments’ allocations.

The court gave the order on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, following a motion ex-parte filed on November 1 by the Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ibrahim Muhammed, and five other concerned residents of Kano State.

The others are Ibrahim Shehu, Ibrahim Abubakar, Usman Isa, Sarki Kurawa, and Usman Imam.

The motion ex-parte which was filed through the applicants’ counsel, Bashir Yusuf-Muhammad and Usman Bala-Salisu, highlighted concerns over the possible withholding or delay of allocations essential for local governance in the State.

The respondents are the AGF, as 45th defendant; Central Bank of Nigeria, as 46th defendant; RMAFC mission, 47th defendant; 44 Kano Local Government Areas, UBA, Access Bank, and six other commercial banks.

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Justice Ibrahim Musa-Muhammad granted an Order of Interim injunction restraining the 45th to 54th respondents either by themselves, their agents, officers, privies, representatives, or interfering with the applicants’ rights generally in relation to this suit.

“By withholding, refusing to disburse or delaying to disburse, deferring or suspending the monthly allocation or in any way tampering with the allocation from the Federation Account to the 44 LGAs pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice,” Justice Musa-Muhammad.

The judge also restrained the 45th to 54th Respondents from taking further steps to “tamper with, withhold from disbursement on schedule, refuse to disburse the allocations from the Federation Accounts due and payable to the Kano 44 LGAs for the benefit of the citizens pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

Justice Musa-Muhammad granted the applicants permission to serve the court processes on the 45th, 46^th, and 47th respondents through Red Star Express Plc, Currier Service as a special bailiff to ensure the effective service of the court documents.

The judge, therefore, adjourned the matter until November 21, 2024, for hearing of the motion on notice.

The Star