The Rivers State Governor, H.E Nyesom Wike has defined the Federal Government’s decision to deduct state funds on behalf of state judiciaries as illegal.
The governor stated that the action would hamper the independence of the judiciary if implemented.
Governor Wike said this in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media Kelvin Ebirion on Friday, November 13, 2020.
The governor, however, debated that the action of the Federal Government constituted yet another breach of the constitutional powers of the Governors to manage State resources, adding that the ‘FG cannot cannot legitimately claim to be more interested in the progress of state judiciaries than the governors of the respective states’.
Governor Wike added that the independence of the judiciary was not only about finances, but also about the ability of the judicial officers to write judgments without the fear of being harassed by officers of the Department of State Services or the Economic and Financial Crime Commission.
It would be recalled that barely a month ago, Wike said it is wrong for FG to ask state governors to take over the Tactical Commands of the Police.
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