Governors back financial autonomy for State legislature, judiciary

…meet next week on framework for implementation
Governors of the 36 states of the country have given backing for a financial autonomy for states legislators and judiciary.

The Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who spoke to newsmen after he led the chairman of States Legislators Conference, Abubakar Suleiman, to meet with the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He assured that modalities for the implementation of the financial autonomy would be concluded on Thursday next week. Tambuwal was accompanied by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State who was one time speaker of the state House of Assembly and his Zamfara State counterpart, Bello Matawalle. Speaking on why the delegation was at the State House, Tambuwal, who was former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the meeting was at the instance of President Muhammedu Buhari.

“We are here to meet the Chief of Staff on the instruction of Mr. President and you can see that the leadership of the Speakers Conference of the States of the Federation is here, ably led by the Chairman. “It’s all about Order 10 which has to do with the independence, financial autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary at the State level.

“So, it’s a continuous meeting, and we are going to meet next week Thursday when we hope to finalize on the framework and modalities of implementing the autonomy of the state legislature and the judicial.” The governors had come under criticism for allegedly frustrating efforts to grant financial autonomy to state legislators and state judiciary. However, Tambuwal said that the governors were in support of financial autonomy for the state lawmakers, adding that there was no impediment towards the implementation of the President’s Executive Order.

“By next week Thursday we will be meeting to finalize the framework. We are all in support of it by the grace of God,” he said.

On the controversy trailing the N30,000 minimum wage as some states were the Governors were yet to implement, he said, “Well our Chairman (Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors Forum) and the team of governors forum are meeting with the labour, I don’t want to preempt that meeting please.”The business of governors is to ensure that there is harmony in the country.”Recall that President Buhari had on May 23, 2020, signed an Executive Order granting the legislature and judiciary financial independent from the executive in the States.

Buhari’s action was predicated on the power vested in him as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under Section 5 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended), which extends to the execution and maintenance of the Constitution, laws made by the National Assembly (including but not limited to Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantee financial autonomy of the state legislature and state judiciary,” the statement said.