Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Monday said governors do not object to financial autonomy for the judicial and legislative arms of government.
The Supreme Court had on Friday struck out the N66 billion suit filed by the state governors against the Federal Government. The apex court, however, declared as unlawful and unconstitutional, Executive Order 10 (EO-10) on the funding of State Judiciary and Legislature.
Three days after the ruling, Governor Fayemi said although state governments are duty-bound to pay the allowances of judges, they are not duty-bound to pay their salaries as it is the responsibility of the National Judicial Council.
“Governors have no objection to financial autonomy for the judicial arm of government or the legislative arm of government,” Fayemi said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“However, it is clear that it is an autonomy that is based on 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 bemoaned the salary structure for judges, calling on the authorities to urgently review it.
Away from financial autonomy, the governor also spoke on what to expect upon the expiration of his tenure by October.
When asked if he intends to run for the presidency, Fayemi refused to categorically reply in the affirmative or negative.
Rather, the Ekiti governor said he is focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of his state.
By Ignatius Igwe,
Channels TV