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From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta, Senator Ita Enang has blamed state Governors for the protracted strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
The presidential aide has however expressed optimism that the issues concerning the strike will soon be resolved.
Interestingly, Senator Enang who doubles as the Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Autonomy disclosed that already, the Federal government has put up workable template that would be agreeable to all parties to dispute.
While blaming the governors for the prolonged strike in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Enang lamented that “it was the state Governors that were not ready to give autonomy. Some of them contended that if there is a provision for building of courts and if they build the courts, they have exercise autonomy. If there is a provision for buying of cars and if the buy cars, they have exercise autonomy.
” But it is not. The autonomy is the kind of autonomy that operates at the federal level. President Muhammadu Buhari is saying treat the judiciary in your state the way I have treated the judiciary at the federal level. Treat the legislature in your state the way I have treated the National Assembly at the federal level, which is that, monies that is meant to the judiciary is stated in the federal budget as First Line Charge and when it comes, it is released to the Secretary of the National Judiciary Council (NJC) on behalf of the Judiciary, and warrant for the spending of the money is signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, after all the processes. Thereafter, the money is then released to the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court and other federal courts.
” And then for the Legislature, when money comes, it is released to the Clark of the National Assembly, after that, under the directive of the Senate President, the money is spent. Under the directive of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the money meant for them is spent and under the directive of the Clark to the National Assembly, money of the National Management and other institutions is spent. That is how we want it done at the state level.”
He disclosed that already, the template which has been made available to all the relevant parties includes a proposal for the state Governors to signed the Funds Management Law for each state and pay the money due to the state Judiciary and Legislatures into their accounts.
According Enang, “We have given the unions the position of the Federal government, drawn up by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy, which I am the Secretary. We have given it to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), the Conference of Speakers, JUSUN, Paraliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASSAN), Body of Chief Justices, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and others, so we are expecting all the parties to have a meeting today (Wednesday), so that by tomorrow (Thursday), they will report to us at a meeting with the minister of Labour by 3pm. So we expect that the agreement will be signed and the strike called off.”
While blaming the governors for the prolonged strike, Enang lamented that “it was the state Governors that were not ready to give autonomy. Some of them contended that if there is a provision for building of courts and if they build the courts, they have exercise autonomy. If there is a provision for buying of cars and if the buy cars, they have exercise autonomy.
” But it is not. The autonomy is the kind of autonomy that operates at the federal level. President Muhammadu Buhari is saying treat the judiciary in your state the way I have treated the judiciary at the federal level. Treat the legislature in your state the way I have treated the National Assembly at the federal level, which is that, monies that is meant to the judiciary is stated in the federal budget as First Line Charge and when it comes, it is released to the Secretary of the National Judiciary Council (NJC) on behalf of the Judiciary, and warrant for the spending of the money is signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, after all the processes. Thereafter, the money is then released to the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court and other federal courts.
” And then for the Legislature, when money comes, it is released to the Clark of the National Assembly, after that, under the directive of the Senate President, the money is spent. Under the directive of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the money meant for them is spent and under the directive of the Clark to the National Assembly, money of the National Management and other institutions is spent. That is how we want it done at the state level.”
JUSUN members embarked on the nationwide strike on April 6 in agitation for the judiciary’s financial freedom from the executive, particularly at the state level, where the state governors only fund the two other arms of government as they please.
Although series of meetings spearheaded by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, the Federal Government’s negotiation team led by the labour minister, Chris Ngige, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have been held with JUSUN leaders over the crisis, it has rejected the 36 state governors’ proposed template for the implementation of judiciary’s financial autonomy being demanded by the workers.
The governors, in their proposal, seek the creation of a State Account Allocation Committee (SAAC) to oversee the distribution of funds to the three arms of government at the state level.
But in a communique the union issued after a May 8 meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC), the union insisted on its demand that funds meant for the state judiciaries must be deducted directly from the federation account and paid to the heads of courts through the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The union insisted that all the state judiciaries’ funds for October 2020 till May 2021 must be deducted directly from source, the federation account, and paid to the heads of courts through the NJC as prescribed by the constitution.
