The Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Tuesday said that the Judiciary in the state had been accorded full autonomy in line with the law.
Governor Okowa’s decision comes as judicial workers across the country continue their industrial action demanding full autonomy for the judiciary in the states.
Mr Okowa said this in Asaba on Tuesday when he received the chief judge of the state, Marshal Umukoro, who came with other judges in the state’s judiciary to the Government House to intimate the governor of his impending retirement.
According to him, with the signing of Judiciary Autonomy law in January 2021 and the setting up of the relevant committees by the chief judge, the state is ready to begin the process of implementing full autonomy for the judiciary.
The governor said the House of Assembly in the state had been enjoying autonomy for two years ago even when some states were yet to start the process till date.
He said,
I have never been against it, and that’s why we went ahead to push for the law. The House of Assembly has been operating its own autonomy since two years even before they started talking about it in this country,” he said.
“It has worked; I have not found any reason to regret that action. So, I believe too that there is no reason why the judiciary cannot run its own autonomy.
“I do also believe that it does not stop the arms of government from relating with each other.
“The budgets are made on a yearly basis and the only challenge is that many times we are unable to fund it in full. However, what will be released on a monthly basis will be subject to the returns that come from Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC),” he said.
