Governors, Presidency Meet Next Week To Finalize State Legislature, Judiciary Autonomy — Tambuwal

Governors of the 36 states of the federation will meet next week with the Presidency to finalize autonomy for state legislatures and judiciary.

This is according to the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, who also declared that the state chief executives are not averse to such autonomy.

He disclosed this after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, at the presidential villa, Abuja at the weekend.

With him were governors Simon Lalong and Bello Matawalle of Plateau and Zamfara States, respectively.

Fielding questions from correspondents, Tambuwal affirmed that modalities and framework for the implementation of the financial autonomy would be finalized Thursday next week.

He said the meeting with the Gambari was on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Sokoto governor said: “We are here to meet the Chief of Staff on the instruction of Mr President and you can see that the leadership of the Speakers Conference of the States of the Federation is here ably led by the Chairman.

“It’s all about Order 10 which has to do with the independence, financial autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary at the State level.

“So, it’s a continuous meeting and we are going to meet next week Thursday when we hope to finalize on the framework and modalities of implementing the autonomy of the state legislature and the judicial.”

“By next week Thursday, we will be meeting to finalize the framework. We are all in support of it by the grace of God,” he said.

On the controversy over the payment of N30,000 minimum, which some states are yet to implement, Tambuwal said, “Well our Chairman (Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors Forum) and the team of governors forum are meeting with the labour, I don’t want to preempt that meeting, please.

“The business of governors is to ensure that there is harmony in the country.”