Why Governors are holding back on financial autonomy for judiciary – Lalong

Why Governors are holding back on financial autonomy for judiciary – Lalong

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 8:48 am


Simon Lalong, Governor of Plateau State:

Simon Lalong, Governor of Plateau State:

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has said that state governors are not against granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.

The Governor said this while speaking to with newsmen on the ongoing strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) who are protesting the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the nation’s judiciary.

Lalong, who said that the governors were already consulting with JUSUN, added that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum would be meeting today, to finalize the issue, as they did not need any Order 10, to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary, since they played key role in the passage of the financial autonomy legislation.

He, however, said that certain criteria had to be put in place, for financial autonomy for the judiciary to commence at the state level.

Lalong said that financial autonomy was not about finances, but to strengthen the institution.

“You don’t wake up one day and say you are doing financial autonomy, because a law is passed, there must be processes.

“For instance, as a former Speaker, I will tell you that you cannot do financial autonomy until you establish a service commission. You must establish a state Allocation Committee. All these are steps towards autonomy.

“You don’t achieve autonomy in a day. We did it in the National Assembly, and there was no Order 10 for implementation. It took them stages. The federal government is aware.

“Members of the National Assembly, who are Governors today were members who fought for the autonomy, so how can we be against the autonomy ?”, Lalong asked.


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