The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) said Monday that implementation of financial autonomy for state Houses of Assembly and judiciary would begin from May 2021.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the NGF and governor of Ekiti state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, after a meeting of stakeholders chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said the NGF has never been opposed to the issue of financial autonomy, stressing that governors, speakers and judges are on the same page on the issue.
He said it was agreed at a meeting with the Solicitor-General of the Federation and the representatives of the judiciary and Conference of Speakers implementation of the autonomy should begin not later than May.
“For us we’re here for legislative and judicial autonomy and the governors, the speakers and the judges are on the same page, as far as this issue is concerned.
“We just emerged from a meeting with the Solicitor-General of the Federation, the representatives of the judiciary, the representatives of the Conference of Speakers, and House of Representatives and we are on all fours. An agreement has been reached.
“First, the issue is about implementation. There has been no objection from governors on judicial and legislative autonomies. As a matter of fact, it would not have passed if governors were not in support in the first instance, in the state Assemblies.
“So, that issue has been fully and holistically addressed, but we don’t just want to agree to something on paper without working out the modalities for implementation. Thankfully, the meeting we have just emerged from, with the Chief of Staff to the President chairing, has worked out the modalities to the satisfaction of all parties,” he said.
Asked to put a time frame to the implementation of the autonomy, the NGF chairman said: “As soon as the final document that is being cleaned up emerges, that is preparatory to implementation. We’re not going to put a timeframe in the air, but it will be implemented as soon as possible, definitely no later than the end of May 2021.”
He appealed to the striking judiciary workers to return to work in the interest of the nation.
“In the interest of the nation, we believe that the striking workers should return to their offices because as far as this has gone, we have met with all the parties concerned, the President, through the Chief of Staff, has also been monitoring what has been happening and I think we’re basically at a position where whether you speak to the Conference of Speakers’ chairperson or you speak to me or you speak to the representative of the judiciary or you speak to the Solicitor-General of the Federation, you will hear that we’re speaking with one voice on the implementation and no later than May, you will start seeing the implementation of the agreement that we’ve reached,” he said.
