President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed an Executive Order granting financial autonomy to both legislative and judicial arms of states.
It was tagged Executive Order No 10 of 2020 according to a statement by Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on Friday.
A Presidential Implementation Committee was constituted to fashion out strategies and modalities for the implementation of financial autonomy for the State Legislature and State Judiciary in compliance with section 121(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended); taking into considerations all other applicable laws, instruments, conventions and regulations, which provides for financial autonomy at the State tier of Government.
According to the statement the implementation of financial autonomy of
the State Legislature and State Judiciary will strengthen the institutions at the State tier of Government and make them more independent and accountable in line with the tenets of democracy as enshrined by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended).
The President signed the Executive Order number 10 into law based 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 Order Provides that “The Accountant-General of the Federation shall by this Order and such any other Orders, Regulations or
Guidelines as may be issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, authorise the deduction from source in the course of Federation Accounts Allocation from the money allocated to
any State of the Federation that fails to release allocation meant for
the State Legislature and State Judiciary in line with the financial autonomy guaranteed by Section 121(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended)”.
Based on the Executive Order at the commencement of this Order for implementation of financial autonomy for State Legislature and State
Judiciary in line with section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended), all States of the Federation shall include the allocations of the two Arms of Government in their
Appropriation Laws.
Article 6 (1) provides that “notwithstanding the provisions of this
Executive Order, in the first three years of its implementation, there
shall be special extraordinary capital allocations for the Judiciary
to undertake capital development of State Judiciary Complexes, High
Court Complexes, Sharia Court of Appeal, Customary Court of Appeal and
Court Complexes of other Courts befitting the status of a Courts.
Credit: Tribune
