Date: 2016-12-11

The Kwara State House of Assembly has urged the State Governor Alhaji Abdul Fatah Ahmed to direct the state Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General to commence regular disbursement of all accounts, due to the judiciary under the recurrent and capital vote of the budget.

This is the resolution of the House in its Thursday sitting, while considering a motion titled " Need for full autonomy to the Judiciary of Kwara State " sponsored by a member representing Oke Ogun Constituency Barrister Kamaldeen Fagbemi.

The Speaker Dr Ali Ahmad while reading the resolution of the House on the motion, said the directive by the Governor for the regular disbursement to the Judiciary would go along way to fast track quick dispensation of justice and independence of the Judiciary in the state.

Dr Ali Ahmad disclosed that the ongoing massive recruitment into the Nigerian Police by the Police Service Commission, were geared towards ensuring effective policing and quick dispensation of justice and enjoined the State government to complement this, by ensuring regular disbursement of all accounts due the judicial arm of government under both recurrent and capital expenditure of the State budget, to further enhance its performance.

Hon. Fagbemi had while raising the Motion quoted relevant sections of the constitution which guarantees full autonomy to the judicial sector by ensuring that any amount standing to its credit,i be disbursed directly to it, but noted with dismay that the sector was yet to enjoy full autonomy as enshrined in the nation's Constitution.

The Legislatator who is the chairman House Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Judiciary emphasized that the autonomy of the arm of government was indispensably in a democracy, to secure its independence in the performance of its statutory functions, and raised alarm that its lack of autonomy was capable of hampering its smooth operations and undermine its independence.

He therefore urged the House to wade in, to ensure that democracy was not imperilled, due to non implementation of the constitutional safeguards which according to him, guaranteed judicial autonomy.

A member representing Kaiama / Kemanji Wajibe Constituency Hon Ahmed Ibn Mohammed while contributing on the Motion, observed that if things were done the right way, it would yield good result and urged the state government to a abide by the constitutional provisions in enhancing the performance of judicial sector in the state.