By Emma Obe
The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that the agreement the Federal Government had with the striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) over the financial autonomy of the judiciary is unconstitutional.
The governor who spoke at the inauguration of the National Industrial Court Judges Quarters in Port Harcourt on Thursday, accused the Federal Government of playing politics with judicial autonomy in total disregard to constitutional provisions.
He said that under a federal system of government, it is only the executive arm of government, at all the tiers, that has the powers to present the annual budget to either State or National Assembly and also signed it into law.
He said the new arrangement where a presidential implementation committee has been set up and governors directed to sign budgetary allocations for the judiciary is unconstitutional.
“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 said his administration has fully implemented the autonomy of the judiciary and the legislature with releases of their financial entitlements as captured in the budget up till 2021.
Wike explained that the funds released by Rivers State to the judiciary far exceed the planned deductions by the federal government, and that his administration was not owing parliamentary workers who were also currently on sympathy strike.
He proclaimed that the no-work no-pay policy has come into force in Rivers State and all judiciary and parliamentary workers cannot sit at home and expect salary anymore.
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He said he decided to provide judges with official residences, because of an incident that happened when he was Chief of Staff, Government House, when he received a call at about midnight that a judge had been locked out of his rented apartment.
“From that day, I had this feeling that judges should not be so exposed to this kind of things that could endanger their lives. We have also acquired land to build for judges of the federal high court who are in rented apartment. And I know that the landlord has told me that they have not paid him for several years.
“That comes to tell you the kind of autonomy of the judiciary that the federal government says they believe in. We agree but the rent of their judges is there. They have not brought the money to pay.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad noted that Governor Wike has remained a strong voice in the clamour for judicial independence and financial autonomy.
Muhammed, who was represented by Justice Mary Odili, said Governor Wike’s affection and innate passion for the welfare and wellbeing of the Nigerian judiciary is worthy of emulation.
“The Wike Model should be holistically espoused and replicated by other governors in the country for rapid development and growth of the Nigerian Judiciary.
“You are not doing this because you are a lawyer, as we have several lawyers occupying influential political offices in the country, but simply because you are a habitual care giver and development-conscious political leader,” he said.
The President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Benedict B. Kanyip said Governor Wike has made history in Nigeria by being the first to build a court and residential apartment for judges of the Industrial Court.
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, stated that Governor Wike by providing conducive accommodation for judges has further expanded the frontiers of the access to justice.
The newly inaugurated Industrial Court judges quarters comprises four duplexes with five bed rooms each, a club house and swimming pool
