ABUJA- Monday, 19 April 2021: The Nigerian Senate has charged the 36 states governors of the country to yield to the request of the Judiciary by granting the arm autonomy.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, gave the charge while responding to questions from reporters in Abuja on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last year, signed into law the Executive Order No 10 of 2020 cited as “the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary Order, 2020”.

Senator Bamidele noted that the autonomy of the judiciary is ‘non-negotiable,’ describing it as laughable to be grappling with judicial autonomy at this stage of the nation’s development.

 “It is laughable that at this point, we are still grappling with the need to grant independence to the judiciary arm of government at the state and local government levels.

“The National Assembly has been making laws that would guarantee full autonomy to the judiciary at the Federal level.

 “The National Assembly does not make laws for the states; such power resides in the state Houses of Assembly.

“Judiciary at the Federal Capital Territory is independent because we have done what we are supposed to do.

“What is next is for the State Houses of Assembly to do what they are supposed to do.

“As a principle, as a policy, members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, have tried not to call on those who are protesting to stop such protests.

“We do not want protests but definitely, we would rather talk more to State Governors, Houses of Assembly and other stakeholders to do the needful in the overriding public interest.

“We cannot continue to call on the judiciary to give peace a chance when we know the conditions under which they work cannot guarantee a passionate and enhanced delivery of justice.

“We are talking about judicial reforms; we are talking about the need for justice sector reforms.

“This is central and crucial to the independence of the judiciary in this country. We must not be left behind by the rest of the civilized world.

“Nobody stands to lose anything by granting independence to judiciary at the state level since it has been done at the national level.

“The fact that workers and staff of federal judiciary are joining the protest is only in solidarity with their colleagues at the state levels.

“It is a union matter and we do not have a control over it. We are hereby calling on the State Governors to do the needful because the independence of the judiciary is non- negotiable.

“No democracy can survive without being founded on the rule of law and independent judiciary,” the Senate Chairman on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters stated.