No going back on financial autonomy for state legislature, judiciary

The federal government says there is no going back on the executive order seeking to implement financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary.

Abubakar Malami, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, said the government will gazette the order after consultations with governors.

He was speaking days after Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti state governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the gazetting after meeting with the governors.

Fayemi had said the president directed the governors to meet with some government officials over their complaints especially regarding the constitutionality of the executive order.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Umar Gwandu, his spokesman, Malami said financial autonomy for state legislature and the judiciary remains sacrosanct.

He said the federal government will, however, implement the order through modalities reached with the governors.

“The re-enforcement of the constitutional provisions on the autonomy of the state legislature and judiciary as contained in Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria necessitated the Executive Order No 0010,” the statement read.

“While congratulating Nigerians on this landmark historic achievement geared toward engendering democratic principles at the grassroots, the Minister called on more inter-agency support for the Order which he said will accelerate development Nigerian masses have been clamouring for.

“In furtherance of the implementation of the Order, the Federal Government and Nigerian Governors’ Forum are jointly working on modalities for effective implementation of the order.”

He said the end result of the consultation with governors would reflect their “valuable submissions” to ensure “practicable implementation” of the executive order.