Governors have no Objection to Financial Autonomy for Judiciary, Legislature – Fayemi

The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said governors do not object to financial autonomy for the judicial and legislative arms of government.

He stated this on Monday, during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. His comments follow Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that struck out N66 billion suit filed by the state governors against the Federal Government. 

The 36 states governors had in a suit sought an order of the court to compel the Federal Government to start funding capital projects for State High Courts, Sharia Court of Appeal, and Customary Court of Appeal, since they are federal courts.

The Supreme court has stated that Executive Order 10 (EO-10) on the funding of State Judiciary and Legislature was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The chairman noted that although the states have to pay judges allowances, they are not duty-bound to pay their salaries as it is the responsibility of the National Judicial Council.

According to him, “Governors have no objection to financial autonomy for the judicial arm of government or the legislative arm of government.” 

“However, it is clear that it is an autonomy that ion the resources available to the state. It cannot just be an arbitrary autonomy in which you award funds without reason to any arm of government.

“For judges of the high court, the Sharia court, industrial court, and the state and federal high court, we are not responsible for their salary. The National Judicial Council is responsible for their salary.”

The governor also lamented over judges’ salary structure and called on the authorities to review it urgently.