Senior lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba writes Gov Feyemi, demands financial independence of judiciary
Senior lawyer, Dr..Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has written the Ekiti State Governor and Chairperson, Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on the need for State governors to enforce the decisions of the court on financial Independence of the Judiciary.
Agbakoba’s letter was made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday by Niyi Odunmorayo, his Media Assistant.
In the letter addressed to the Ekiti State Governor, the frontline lawyer called on the ‘State Governors to please enforce decisions of the courts and save the country this chaos in the judiciary.’
His letter added:
I am saddened by the avoidable strike action by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) because of the stress it has caused the judicial system. A simple way out is for state governors to observe the rule of law and obey Judgments of the court.
Sections 81 (3) and 121 (3) of the Constitution of Nigeria, grants financial autonomy to Federal and State Judiciaries. This has been confirmed by courts in the following cases:
1. JUDICIARY STAFF UNION OF NIGERIA VS NATIONAL JUDICIARY COUNCIL & GOVERNORS OF THE 36 STATES IN SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/667/13
2. OLISA AGBAKOBA VS FG, THE NJC & NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/63/2013 and
3. OLISA AGBKAOBA VS AG, EKITI STATE & 2 OTHERS SUIT No. NAD/56/2013
President Buhari has affirmed the decisions of the courts by issuing Executive Order 10 of 2020, in exercise of his powers under Section 5 of the Constitution to ensure execution and maintenance of the constitution which includes enforcement of decisions of the court.
State Governors should please enforce the decisions of the court and save the country this chaos. JUSUN is absolutely correct to pursue a policy of financial Independence of the courts guaranteed by the Constitution and affirmed by three decisions of superior courts of Nigeria.
