Honourable Iduma Igariwey, member representing Afikpo North/Afikpo South of Ebonyi State at the House of Representatives, has called for constitutional backing of the Executive Order 10 of 2020 to legitimise the state judiciary and legislative autonomy.
President Buhari had recently signed Executive Order 10 for the implementation of financial autonomy of state legislature and judiciary.
The order also mandates the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from source the amount due to state legislatures and judiciaries from the monthly allocation to each state for states that refuse to grant such autonomy.
Demanding for the legitimisation of the Executive Order, Igariwey said though President Buhari had recently signed Executive Order 10 to cure the habit of tampering with the funds of state legislatures and judiciary, it did not go far enough as it was bereft of constitutional ingredient.
He said the states appropriate funds for the Houses of Assembly and the judiciary, adding that it had affected the independence of the two arms.
“Such lacuna had given room for state governors to push back against the noble intentions of Executive Order 10 as they were often starved of funds and also made to dance to the whims and caprices of governors,” he said.
Igariwey posited that if constitutionally backed the Executive Order 10 would make the two arms of government at the state level more independent and accountable in line with the tenets of democracy.
