Buhari constitutes panel on state legislature, judiciary autonomy

President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted a Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of State Legislature and Judiciary in accordance with the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution.

Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina in a statement, said the purpose of the committee was to drive the actualization of the autonomy granted to the legislature and judiciary at the State level.

The committee, according to him would be chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation/ Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and that the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang would serve as Secretary.

The state Judiciary would be represented by the Chief of Judge of Kogi, Justice N. Ajanah, Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice K. Abiri, Grand Khadi, Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal, Kadi Abdullahi Maikano Usmanl; and Acting President of the FCT Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Abbazih Musa Abubakar Sadeeq.

The State legislatures are to be represented by the chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and Speaker, Taraba State House of Assembly, Abel Peter Riah.

He said the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria would be represented by Marwan Mustapha Adamu, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria would be represented by Bala Hadi and the body of Chairmen of Houses of Assembly Service Commissions, Musa Mustapha Agwai;

Also on the panel are chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Judiciary, Aminu Shagari, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.

Others are: DG 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, SAN; 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).

He said the formal inauguration of the committee by Mr President will be done in due course.