The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has made history in Nigeria as the first state governor to grant full autonomy to the state judiciary.
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had on April 6 directed its members to shut down all courts across the country; its members complied with the directive and mounted guard at the entrances of the courts to ensure that no one entered the court premises.
Announcing the new development, the Governor Okowa said he just signed the law after meeting with members of the Judiciary in the state.
“Earlier today, at a meeting with the Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Marshal Umukoro, and other judges in the state’s judiciary, I was pleased to announce that in line with the law, Delta State’s Judiciary has been accorded full autonomy.
“This is because, with my signing of the Judiciary Autonomy law in January 2021, and the setting up of the relevant committees by the Chief Judge, our great state has begun the process of implementing full autonomy for its judiciary.
“As we work to improve our democratic processes across the board, we are proud that Delta State now has both a legislature and judiciary that are fully autonomous.”
If this is actually true, then I hail the governor, Governor Okowa of Delta State and I humbly urge the other 35 States Governors to follow suit and do the needful as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The Constitution is supreme and must be respectfully respected by all. There must be checks and balances among the 3 arms of Government if Democracy must be practiced.