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President Buhari Moves On Local Government, State Judicial Autonomy

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has made a positive move on proper autonomy for State Legislature and State Judiciary by constituting a Presidential Implementation Committee in accordance with the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution.

A statement today, Sunday, by special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the  purpose of the committee is to drive the actualization of the autonomy granted to the legislature and judiciary at the State level.

He gave the names of members of the committee as minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as Chairman, Presidential Liaison (National Assembly), Senator Ita Enang, as Secretary and representatives of State Judiciary. They include Justice N. Ajanah, Chief Judge of Kogi State; Justice K. Abiri, Chief Judge of Bayelsa State; Kadi Abdullahi Maikano Usman, Grand Khadi, Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal and Justice Abbazih Musa Abubakar Sadeeq, Acting President of the FCT Customary Court of Appeal.

Adesina added that State legislatures are to be represented by Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as Rt. Hon. Abel Peter Riah, Speaker, Taraba State House of Assembly.

According to the Presidential spokesman, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria is to be represented by Marwan Mustapha Adamu while Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Comrade Bala Hadi, Body of Chairmen of Houses of Assembly Service Commissions, Musa Mustapha Agwai, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru as well as House of Representatives Committee on Federal Judiciary, Hon. Aminu Shagari are also members of the committee.

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Others are the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Secretary of the National Judicial Council; the Director General of the Nigerian Governors Forum or such other representative as the Forum may wish to nominate; Chairman of the Forum of Finance Commissioners in Nigeria; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, and Chike Adibuah Esq, representing Civil Society Organizations.

“Terms of reference of the committee include, among others; to assess and review the level of compliance by all the 36 States of the Federation with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); to monitor, ensure and cause the implementation of Financial Autonomy across the Judiciary and Legislature of the 36 States; to consult and relate with the appropriate Federal and State MDAs; to ensure and where necessary enforce the implementation of constitutional provision; and to come up with appropriate modality or model to be adopted by all the States of the Federation for implementation and/ or compliance with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

Adesina said that formal inauguration of the committee by the President will be done in due course.

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