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Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Minister of Finance Mrs Zainab Ahmed to release to the National Judicial Council (NJC) all outstanding funds to the credit of the judiciary.
House further mandated its Committee on Federal Judiciary to ensure compliance and report back to the house within one week for further legislative action.
The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon Aminu Shehu Shagari (Sokoto,PDP) on the matter on the floor of the House.
Shagari said that the judiciary is on the First Line Charge as stipulatedbin Sect 81 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) which provides that “Any amount standing to the credit of the judiciary in the consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation shall be paid and disbursed directly to the National Judicial Council for disbursement to heads of Courts established for the Federation and the States under section 6 of this constitution.
He also said that the essence of the above constitutional provision is to guarantee financial and administrative independence of the judiciary thereby insulating it from interference and control by any other drafter of the constitution and also to promote and protect the doctrine of seperation of powers.
The lawmaker stated that a total sum of 110 billion was approved for judiciary in the year 2018 and added that the sum of 100 billion was proposed by the Executive.
He further hinted that the House Committee on Federal Judiciary in exercise of its oversight powers visited courts and judicial bodies on 7th and 8th November 2018 in an attempt to ascertain the extent of implementation of the 2018 budget.
He also told the House that reports available to the Committee the Minister of Finance who is a functionary of the Executive arm of government has been withholding funds standing to the credit of the judiciary as at when due in contravention of Sec 81(3) of the constitution as amended.
He added that the withholding of the funds to the judiciary may disrupt the efficiency of the judicial arm of government as well as place in jeopardy its financial obligations to contractual agreements.
The House presided by the Speaker Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara thereafter put the matter to voice vote and it was voted for overwhelming.
Dogara later referred the matter the House Committee on Judiciary for further legislative actions.
End.