THE Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Wednesday approved a template for the realisation of financial autonomy for the judicial and legislative arms of state governments, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Forum, revealed.
Rising from a meeting the forum held on Wednesday in Abuja, Dr Fayemi, who is governor of Ekiti State, said the template was developed after a meeting with state Attorneys General and Commissioners for Finance, which held in June.
“The Forum (NGF) has approved a common template for the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on the implementation of financial autonomy for the State legislature and judiciary,” the communiqué issued at the end of the governors’ meeting, stated in part, but however failed to give details of the template.
JUSUN and PASAN, both affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had independently embarked on nationwide strikes that lasted over two months in agitation for financial freedom for state judiciary and legislature from the executive arm.
JUSUN and PASAN had on May 21 signed a Memorandum of Action (MoA) with the federal government and the governors which led to the suspension of the strikes on June 9th, 2021.
In the MoA, parties agreed on the template that all the 36 states would adopt for the implementation of the financial autonomy of both the judiciary and the legislature at the state level.
The MoA reads in part: “The governments of the respective States shall credit the Accounts of each State House of Assembly and each State Judiciary with the pro-rata amount due each of the two arms of Government under the 2021 Appropriation for each State in accordance with B(iii) of this Memorandum of Action commencing from April 2021 State Allocation from the State Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) as a sign of good faith.
“And the B(iii) in reference, says, “whenever there is Revenue shortfall, lower than the Budgeted fund, the monthly allocations to each arm of government shall reflect a percentage of the appropriated sum or an irreducible minimum amount to be allocated every month for the purpose of meeting its costs whichever is higher. This percentage will reflect as 100 per cent in Personnel Cost. The Running Cost and Capital Cost will be pro-rata of Revenue performance as per the State Appropriation Law.
“Upon fulfilment of the above, the ongoing Industrial Action shall be suspended with immediate effect from the date of the agreements contained in this Memorandum of Action (MOA), provided item D above is effected immediately and others effected within the 45 days window as prescribed in this MOA.
