Judiciary/Legislature autonomy: Governors meet Wednesday on implementation

By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja Members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to among others, strategise on ways to ensure the actual implementation of financial autonomy for state Judiciary and Legislature. The Head, Media and Public Affairs, NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo said, in a statement on Monday, that the issue would form a major item on the agenda of virtual meeting, scheduled to commence at 2pm. Bello-Barkindo said the governors would also deliberate on the Memorandum of Action (MoA) endorsed by representatives of the NGF, the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) and other stakeholders before the over two-month old strike by judicial and parliamentary workers was suspended. He noted that efforts were already under way in all states to either constitute the States Accounts Allocation Committees (SAAC) or to inaugurate them, preparatory to the granting of full autonomy to Legislature and Judiciary at the state level. Part of the statement reads: “The return to work by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) which begins Tuesday after the democracy day holiday, will top the agenda of the 31st NGF meeting which takes place, virtually, on Wednesday 16th June 2021. “Efforts are already under way in all states of the federation, to either constitute the States Accounts Allocation Committees (SAAC) or inaugurate them, preparatory to the granting of full autonomy to the two arms of government, namely, the legislature and the judiciary at the sub-national level. “JUSUN and PASAN have been on a nationwide strike for more than two months, while governors of the 36 states worked day-and-night to establish modalities for their autonomy in conformity with the constitutional provisions that stipulated thus. “The Governors’ meeting will be briefed before deliberating on the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of this main item on the agenda. “According to the invitation to all the 36 governors as issued by the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru, the governors will be updated on the activities of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid 19, a regular feature of the governors’ meetings, by the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who heads the governors’ interface with the PTF. “The meeting will also review the agenda of the NEC which takes place a day after. Other items on the agenda include the regular update on the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability for results (SFTAS) to provide states’ status on their DLI’s and upcoming deadlines. “The meeting will also receive two presentations: Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), will make a presentation regarding unlocking liquidity through sale/optimization of state-owned redundant/sub-optimal assets, while the Policy Development Facility (PDF) bridge programme will discuss diversification and non-oil export opportunities for states post-Covid-19. “The meeting will commence at 2pm but governors are expected to start logging in from 1pm.”