President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted a Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary in accordance with the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who made this known, said the committee will drive the actualisation of the autonomy granted to the legislature and judiciary at the State level.
The committee is to be chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, with Sen. Ita Enang, the Presidential Liaison, NASS, acting as Secretary.
It’s mandate include 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 and to consult and relate with the appropriate Federal and State MDAs as well as 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).
Members of the committee are; representatives of State Judiciary – Justice N. Ajanah, Chief Judge of Kogi State and Justice K. Abiri, Chief Judge of Bayelsa, Khadi Abdullahi Maikano Usman, Grand Khadi, Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal and Justice Abbazih Musa Sadeeq, Ag. President of the FCT Customary Court of Appeal; State legislatures represented by: Mudashiru Obasa, Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as Abel Peter Riah, Speaker, Taraba State House of Assembly .
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Others are: the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, represented by Marwan Mustapha Adamu, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria represented by Bala Hadi, the Body of Chairmen of Houses of Assembly Service Commissions represented by Musa Mustapha Agwai, Senator David Umaru; standing in for the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, and Aminu Shagari, representing the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Judiciary, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.
Director General of the Nigerian Governors Forum or any chosen representative of the Forum; Chairman of the Forum of Finance Commissioners in Nigeria; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, and Chike Adibuah representing Civil Society Organizations are also members of the committee.
According to Adesina, the President will formally inaugurate the committee soon.
