The Rivers State Government has dismissed claims making round today’s Supreme Court ruling on the 2024 budget appeal, describing it as an “academic exercise” with no practical value.
In a statement released by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, the government clarified that the appeal in question was voluntarily withdrawn by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as the 2024 budget cycle ended on December 31, 2024, rendering further deliberations unnecessary.
“The Supreme Court is a very busy court. It will be most unwise to belabour the Honourable Court with academic appeals without any practical or utilitarian value,” the statement read.
The government also dismissed political propaganda suggesting that the Supreme Court ruled against Governor Fubara, urging the public to disregard “outdated political propaganda by some desperate politicians.”
“That is the appeal that the urchins are celebrating. There is no Supreme Court judgment against Governor Fubara,” Johnson added.
Furthermore, the government reaffirmed that Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo remains the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, stating that “nothing can change that.”
In law, an “academic appeal” refers to an appeal that is considered pointless or irrelevant because even if the appellant were to win, it would not have any practical effect on the outcome of the case, meaning the situation has already changed or the issue is no longer relevant due to the passage of time or other factors.
