The Senate, on Monday urged governors across the 36 states of Nigeria to implement the financial autonomy act.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated this while receiving the protesting members of the NBA at the National Assembly.
JUSUN had embarked on a nationwide strike on April 6 to press home its demands for the implementation of the Financial Autonomy Act of 2018 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Similarly, the NBA had threatened to join the JUSUN in the ongoing strike if the governors of the federation fail to implement the act.
Speaking to journalists, Bamidele stated that the non-implementation of the financial autonomy act is against the constitution of Nigeria, noting that
“No democracy can survive without being founded on the rule of law and independent judiciary.”
According to him, the autonomy act is non-negotiable, adding that the governors must implement the act in order to save the nation’s democracy.
His words, “It is laughable that at this point, we are still grappling with the need to grant independence to the judiciary arm of government at the state level and at the local government level.
“The National Assembly has been making laws that would guarantee full autonomy to the judiciary at the Federal level.
“The National Assembly does not make laws for the state, such power resides in the state House of Assembly.
“As a principle, and as a policy, members of the Senate Committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters, have tried not to call on those who are protesting to stop such protests.
“We don’t want protest but definitely, we would rather talk more to state governors, houses of assembly and other stakeholders to do the needful in the overriding public interest.
“We cannot continue to call on the judiciary to give peace a chance when we know the conditions under which they work cannot guarantee a passionate and enhanced delivery of justice.
“Nobody stands to lose anything by granting independence to judiciary at the state level since it has been done at the national level.
“The fact that workers and staff of federal judiciary are joining the protest is only in solidarity with their colleagues at the state levels.
“It is a union matter and we do not have control over it. We are hereby calling on the state governors to do the needful because the independence of the judiciary is non-negotiable.
“No democracy can survive without being founded on the rule of law and independent judiciary. ”
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has stated that the state’s chapter of the NBA and JUSUN has no business joining the ongoing nationwide strike.
According to him, the state government is implementing the demands of JUSUN and NBA, which is the financial autonomy for the state’s judiciary arm of government.
However, Wike, who hosted the members of NBA at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, stated that the members has no reason to join the strike since the state government is complying with the financial autonomy act.
The NBA Chairman in Port Harcourt, Prince Nyekwere, in his response, said the members of the union decided to submit the protest letter to the Governor in line with the directive of theFinancial National body. According to him, the letter is to protect River State from retracing from the implementation of the financial autonomy act.
Wike further took to his official Twitter handle to disclose that he has warned the state’s chapter of NBA against joining the strike.
His tweeted read in part:
“My position concerning the JUSUN strike in Rivers State is simple. Rivers State has (been) painstakingly implementing financial autonomy for the state’s judiciary. We shouldn’t suffer solidarity strikes because other states are not implementing same.
“Non-implementing states can be held to task but there is really no reason for a solidarity strike or protest in Rivers State.
“I used the opportunity to request for Rivers State’s JUSUN to call off their strike and open the courts in Rivers State.”
