By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The industrial action embarked upon by judiciary workers since April 6 to press home their demand for financial autonomy of the judiciary has prompted a joint meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.
After deliberating on the issue at stake on Thursday in Abuja, they rose from the joint meeting, to reconvene on Monday April 19 to finalize the issue of financial autonomy of the judiciary, and appealed to striking judicial workers to call off their on-going strike, in the interest of the nation.
The deputy chairman of the NGF, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, made the appeal when he fielded questions from State House correspondents, after he led officials of the Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
“We have just finished talking to the Speakers, and indeed the State Chief Judges, and the Judiciary, to continue to engage and the Minister of Labour is also engaging with the striking bodies to appeal to them, to appreciate the fact that we have made progress.
“We are appealing to them in the interest of this country, they should call off the strike”, the governor said.
According to governor Tambuwal, a lot of progress had been made in the negotiations and hopefully the matter would be put to rest by next week.
“We are here with the chairman and leadership of the Speakers’ Conference. The Solicitor General of the Federation, and SSA to Mr President on Niger Delta, who has been a member of the Technical Committee on the implementation of the autonomy of state legislatures and the judiciary.
“Together with the Chief of Staff to the President, we have just finished a meeting on how to put finishing touches and dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, on the final implementation of the financial autonomy of the state legislatures and the judiciary.
“We have made reasonable progress and we have agreed, after receiving the final report of the technical committee, to meet on Monday, because of the urgency of the matter and finally, resolve whatever issues are there,” he said.
He used the occasion to pledge the commitment of those in leadership positions, to build viable institutions for the country.
“Well, I can assure you that all of us are committed to building institutions, particularly our parliaments and the judiciary in our respective states, as democratically elected governors, and we are doing whatever it takes to make sure that the issues are resolved.
“As I told you before, some of the issues are constitutional and when matters have to do with the constitution, you have to be sure of what you’re doing that you’re actually following the Constitution,” he said.
Tambuwal reiterated that governors had always been in support of the autonomy of State legislature and judiciary.
“From the very beginning, during the 8th Assembly, under the leadership of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Dogara, the NGF under Abdulaziz Yari then, met with them and supported the financial autonomy for the state legislatures and the judiciary”, he pointed out.
“And that is why with that support, we were able to achieve the passage of this amendment by the National Assembly and the state legislatures across the country. “So, the governors are unequivocally in support of the autonomy of these institutions.’’
