The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has said it will start the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislative and judiciary institutions by May 2021.
The assurance was given by the Chairman of the forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House.
Fayemi maintained that the Nigerian governors have never been opposed to the issue of financial autonomy and that the governors, the speakers, and the judges are on the same page.
He further disclosed that following a meeting with the Solicitor-General of the Federation, the representatives of the judiciary, conference of speakers and House of Representatives have reached an agreement, reiterating that Nigerians should expect the implementation of the agreement not later than May.
The comments of the NGF on the matter came few hours after the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) staged a peaceful march at the National Assembly in solidarity with the judicial workers, who are protesting for the implementation of financial autonomy in the country.
The lawyers first converged at the gate of the Court of Appeal before proceeding to the Parliament’s complex in their numbers. They were stopped from entering the Assembly by the security operatives.
On Friday, the leadership of the NBA directed its branch chairmen nationwide to lead “visits” to government houses in their states over the refusal of the 36 governors to implement the financial autonomy for the judiciary.
In a statement by the President of the association, Olumide Akpata, the branch chairmen were directed to lead the “visits”, which is more like peaceful protests on Monday. This will continue on all other subsequent Mondays until the demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary is met.
The statement urged the branch leaders “to effectively mobilise their members” for the “visit to the governors at the state government houses” to press home the demand.
JUSUN since April 6, 2021, left the courts in Nigeria under lock and key because of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary as the third arm of government. They commenced a nationwide strike today, April 19, 2021.
