Govs support financial autonomy for state legislature, judiciary —Tambuwal

….says govs to meet labour leaders on minimum wage

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has stated that the call for financial autonomy for state legislatures and judiciary is supported by governors in the country.

He also said that Nigerian Governors’ Forum is ready to meet with organised labour on the implementation of the minimum wage.

He spoke on these two issues, which generated protest at the National Assembly during the week, after he led the Chairman of States Legislators Conference to meet with the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday.

He said that modalities for the implementation of the financial autonomy would be finalised next Thursday.

Tambuwal, speaking on states that have so far failed to start the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage of N30,000, said:

“Well, our Chairman (NGF) and the team of the governors’ forum are meeting with labour. I don’t want to pre-empt that meeting, please. The business of governors is to ensure that there is harmony in the country.”

Tambuwal, who was accompanied by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, speaking on the reason for the visit said, “We are here to meet the Chief of Staff on the instruction of Mr President and you can see that the leadership of the Speakers’ Conference of the states of the federation is here ably led by the chairman. It is all about (Executive) Order 10, which has to do with the independence, financial autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary at the state level.

“So, it is a continuous meeting and we are going to meet next week Thursday when we hope to finalise the framework and modalities for implementing the autonomy of the state legislature and the judicial.”

On the claim that governors had been frustrating efforts to grant financial autonomy to state legislatures and judiciary, Tambuwal reiterated that the governors were in support of financial autonomy for the state lawmakers and that there was no impediment towards the implementation of the President’s Executive Order.

He said, “By next week Thursday, we will be meeting to finalise the framework. We are all in support of it, by the grace of God.”

Buhari had on May 23, 2020 signed an Executive Order granting the legislature and judiciary financial independence from the executive in the states.