Governors Fix May For State Judicial, Legislative Autonomy

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Monday, assured the general public that financial autonomy of the state judiciary and legislative arms of governments would be implemented in May.

He made this known to newsmen at the Presidential Villa, after a meeting between the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari with some governors.

Recall that there have been unanimous criticisms by judicial workers (Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria) and parliamentary workers regarding the non-implementation of financial autonomy of the respective arms of government.

Their demands led them to engage in strike action.

On his part, the Nigerian Bar Association’s president, Olumide Akpata, frowned at the development, adding state governors have to fully comply “with existing legislative instruments and court judgments on the financial autonomy of the judiciary.”

Speaking to the press, Fayemi said governors were on the same page with the workers as it was already making plans on how to go about their demands.

He promised that all things being equal, the autonomy will materialize by May.

“For us, we’re here for legislative and judicial autonomy and the governors, the speakers and the judges are on the same page, as far as this issue is concerned.

“As soon as the final document that is being cleaned up emerges, that is preparatory to implementation. We’re not going to put a timeframe in the air, but it will be implemented as soon as possible, definitely no later than the end of May 2021,” he said as quoted by The Nigerian Tribune.

The implementation of autonomy for the judiciary had been directed by the federal government through Executive Order 10.

But compliance across the states has been an issue.