Nigerian Senate on Monday declared its support for the autonomy of the judiciary in the country.
This was confirmed by the Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Sen. Michael Bamidele, while speaking on the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria with journalists in Abuja.
JUSUN had commenced a nationwide indefinite strike on Monday, April 6 over the non-implementation of judicial financial autonomy which is embedded in the constitution.
Speaking on the development, Bamidele said it would be difficult for any government to survive without the Rule of Law and independence of the judiciary.
“For me as a Nigerian, it is laughable that we still need at this point, to be grappling with the need to grant judiciary independence at whatever level, be it at the federal, state, and local government levels. Our laws are very clear on this,” he said.
He added “For the National Assembly, we have done the needful by making necessary laws that can guarantee the independence of the judiciary at the federal level. So for us, it is not an issue because we have done the needful.
“What is left is for our state houses of assembly to also do what they are supposed to do.
“And that is why 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 protest.
“We do not want protest but definitely we will rather talk more to our state governors, to our state houses of assembly and to the stakeholders that are supposed to do the needful to please do the needful in 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 must not be left behind by the rest of the civilised world. Nobody stands to lose anything by granting judiciary independence at the state level. It has been done at the national level.”