Governors Shift Ground On Financial Autonomy For State Legislatures, Judiciaries

*Propose Percentage Payment Of Statutory Allocation To
Legislative Arm

Governors have shifted ground in their quest for an earnest
resolution of the industrial crisis caused by the clamour by
judicial and legislative workers for the implementation of
financial autonomy for the two arms of government.,
According to Thisday report.^[1]

Our correspondent gathered yesterday that the governors had
proposed to pay lawmakers a certain percentage of their statutory
monthly entitlements towards funding the legislature.

A source said the governors’ offer followed the refusal of
speakers of Houses of Assembly of the 36 states of the federation
to accept the N100 million monthly offer made by the governors for
each state legislature.

In rejecting the irreducible minimum payment of N100 million
monthly to each of the legislatures in the states to fund their
operations, the speakers had insisted on N250 million monthly.

It was also gathered that the governors had also rejected the
demand of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the
Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) that the gross
allocations should be remitted to the two arms of government
directly.

The governors’ hard-line position was said to be responsible for
the delay in the resolution of the strike embarked upon by judicial
and parliamentary workers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) to press for the implementation of financial
autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures.

However, the governors agreed that the National Judicial Council
(NJC) will handle funds for states’ judicial councils to take care
of the high courts while the state governments will be responsible
for funding the magistrates and customary courts.

In a bid to resolve the issues and end the ongoing industrial
dispute, the federal government has invited the leadership of JUSUN
and PASAN to a negotiation today.

A statement by the Deputy Director Press and Public Relations in
the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, said the
Minister, Senator Chris Ngige, would host the negotiations with the
workers.

An earlier plan to hold talks with the striking workers was
stalled by a lack of harmony in the positions of the team
representing the federal government and that of governors.

The Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata, who had
represented the federal government, and the Director-General of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. Asishana Okauru, had presented
different position papers, which stalled negotiations.

But a source told THISDAY yesterday that the two parties had
reached a consensus, while all the grey areas have been
resolved.

He confirmed that Ngige would schedule a meeting with the
leadership of JUSUN and PASAN to sort out any other outstanding
issues.

He said: “Right now; there’s a consensus. There’s some
agreement, grey areas have been cleared and I think the minister is
committed to putting a meeting together with the workers and in the
next couple of days. I think all the grey areas will be sorted
out.

“Some of the grey areas for the judiciary, for instance, is that
it is clear to all the parties now that the National Judicial
Council (NJC) will be handling that because that’s the position of
the constitution. They have been doing that for recurrent at the
state level, but have not been doing it for capital spending.

“That will continue, especially for courts of record. The
governors will be in charge of customary courts and magistrates
courts.

“For the legislature, the major issue was whether the deduction
should be based on gross or net. What they have agreed is that it
is going to be an agreed percentage of appropriated amount.”

Following the different positions adopted by the federal
government and the governors, Ngige had urged the governors to
rework the agreement for negotiations to resume.

The governors had accepted in principle the funding of both the
state legislatures and judiciaries from their allocations from the
Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), to be deducted from
the States Accounts Allocation Committee (SAAC).

As part of its implementation, the state governments were
expected from May 1, to set up the States Accounts Allocations
Committee (SAAC) with members from the states Assembly committee
chairmen on Finance and the States Commissioners of Finance to
discuss on monthly basis the disbursement of funds.

However, the governors and speakers could not reach a consensus
on how much to be given to each state legislature monthly.

*Propose Percentage Payment Of Statutory Allocation To
Legislative Arm

Governors have shifted ground in their quest for an earnest
resolution of the industrial crisis caused by the clamour by
judicial and legislative workers for the implementation of
financial autonomy for the two arms of government.,
According to Thisday report.^[1]

Our correspondent gathered yesterday that the governors had
proposed to pay lawmakers a certain percentage of their statutory
monthly entitlements towards funding the legislature.

A source said the governors’ offer followed the refusal of
speakers of Houses of Assembly of the 36 states of the federation
to accept the N100 million monthly offer made by the governors for
each state legislature.

In rejecting the irreducible minimum payment of N100 million
monthly to each of the legislatures in the states to fund their
operations, the speakers had insisted on N250 million monthly.

It was also gathered that the governors had also rejected the
demand of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the
Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) that the gross
allocations should be remitted to the two arms of government
directly.

The governors’ hard-line position was said to be responsible for
the delay in the resolution of the strike embarked upon by judicial
and parliamentary workers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) to press for the implementation of financial
autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures.

However, the governors agreed that the National Judicial Council
(NJC) will handle funds for states’ judicial councils to take care
of the high courts while the state governments will be responsible
for funding the magistrates and customary courts.

In a bid to resolve the issues and end the ongoing industrial
dispute, the federal government has invited the leadership of JUSUN
and PASAN to a negotiation today.

A statement by the Deputy Director Press and Public Relations in
the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, said the
Minister, Senator Chris Ngige, would host the negotiations with the
workers.

An earlier plan to hold talks with the striking workers was
stalled by a lack of harmony in the positions of the team
representing the federal government and that of governors.

The Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata, who had
represented the federal government, and the Director-General of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. Asishana Okauru, had presented
different position papers, which stalled negotiations.

But a source told THISDAY yesterday that the two parties had
reached a consensus, while all the grey areas have been
resolved.

He confirmed that Ngige would schedule a meeting with the
leadership of JUSUN and PASAN to sort out any other outstanding
issues.

He said: “Right now; there’s a consensus. There’s some
agreement, grey areas have been cleared and I think the minister is
committed to putting a meeting together with the workers and in the
next couple of days. I think all the grey areas will be sorted
out.

“Some of the grey areas for the judiciary, for instance, is that
it is clear to all the parties now that the National Judicial
Council (NJC) will be handling that because that’s the position of
the constitution. They have been doing that for recurrent at the
state level, but have not been doing it for capital spending.

“That will continue, especially for courts of record. The
governors will be in charge of customary courts and magistrates
courts.

“For the legislature, the major issue was whether the deduction
should be based on gross or net. What they have agreed is that it
is going to be an agreed percentage of appropriated amount.”

Following the different positions adopted by the federal
government and the governors, Ngige had urged the governors to
rework the agreement for negotiations to resume.

The governors had accepted in principle the funding of both the
state legislatures and judiciaries from their allocations from the
Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), to be deducted from
the States Accounts Allocation Committee (SAAC).

As part of its implementation, the state governments were
expected from May 1, to set up the States Accounts Allocations
Committee (SAAC) with members from the states Assembly committee
chairmen on Finance and the States Commissioners of Finance to
discuss on monthly basis the disbursement of funds.

However, the governors and speakers could not reach a consensus
on how much to be given to each state legislature monthly.