WIKE SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DECISION TO DEDUCT STATE FUNDS FOR JUDICIARY IS ILLEGAL

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says Federal Government decision to dissipate State funds on behalf of State judiciaries, under the purported Executive Order 10, is illegal and ill-advised.

He said if the decision is implemented more problems will be created and this will hamper the independence of the judiciary.

Governor Wike stated this during a special court session organised to mark the opening of 2020/2021 legal year of the Rivers state judiciary in Port Harcourt on Friday.

He argued that the action of the Federal Government constitute yet, another clear breach of the constitutional powers of the Governors to manage State resources in a federal system. According to him, the Federal Government cannot legitimately claim to be more interested in the progress of State judiciaries than the Governors of the respective States; particularly, Rivers State.

The governor stated that independence of the judiciary is not only about finances, but the ability of judicial officers to write judgments without the fear of being harassed by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

WIKE SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DECISION TO DEDUCT STATE FUNDS FOR JUDICIARY IS ILLEGAL first appeared on NigeriaONnews.