Tambuwal Signs Legislative, Judicial Financial Autonomy Bill into Law

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday signed into law the legislative and judicial financial autonomy passed by the state House of Assembly.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, the governor reiterated the commitment of Nigerian governors to the independence of the judiciary and legislature.

He explained that no governor in Nigeria is against the legislative and judicial autonomy.

Tambuwal disclosed that over some months, there was unsubstantiated claimed against the governors that they were against the judicial and legislative financial autonomy, which he said is not true

According to him, “The public was misled because they decided to hear from the other side, not from us.”

The governor, who faulted order 10 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari, stressed that the order is unnecessary.

“The issue is a constitutional matter; since we revert back to democracy in 1999, no president has ever issued executive order, it only happened during Buhari’s reign,” the governor added.

He maintained that the president was ill-advised, noting that the governors are challenging the order in court.

Tambuwal noted that the controversial order 10 is not part of their agreement with the legislative and judicial workers before they suspended the strike.

The governor said: “Just some days ago, I received a memo from the state attorney-generals; commissioners of finance, and budget and economic planning of the 36 states relating to some gray areas about our agreement with judicial and legislative workers in order to resolve some issues.”

Tambuwal congratulated the Speaker and members of the state House of Assembly for passing the gender based violence bill, challenging them to also pass the Child Rights Act.

He further thanked the members of the Assembly for their cordial relationship with the executive, which he said enable him to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

Earlier, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Muhammad Achida, thanked the governor for the cordial working relationship with the Assembly irrespective of political divergence, as he promised to give the governor the full support in order to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the state.