FG Paying Lip Service To Judicial Autonomy – Wike

• Wike noted that his government has totally implemented judicial autonomy as well as that of the legislature with releases of their financial entitlements…

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has accused the Federal Government of being unserious about granting autonomy to the judiciary in total disregard to the country’s constitution. 

Wike made the remark on Thursday during the inauguration and handover of the National Industrial Court Judges Quarters in Old Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt.

The Rivers Governor explained that in a federal system of government, only the executive arm of government, at all the tiers, has the powers to present the annual budget to either State or National Assembly and also signed it into law.

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“Is it true that the federal government wants the autonomy of the judiciary? If the federal government wants the autonomy of the judiciary, how can a government say that the courts should be shut down for almost two months now?” the governor was quoted as asking in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri.

“Which country can survive when its courts are shut down for two months?” he also queried.

Wike noted that his government has totally implemented judicial autonomy as well as that of the legislature with releases of their financial entitlements as contained in the budget up till 2021.

He explained that the money released by  Rivers State to the judiciary exceeds the planned deductions by the federal government and added that his government is not owing parliamentary workers who are also presently on sympathy strike.

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