The Oyo State House of Assembly has passed into law the Oyo State Judiciary and Oyo State House of Assembly Funds Management Bill, 2021 respectively.
The laws are to provide for the management of funds accruing to the Oyo State House of Assembly and the Oyo State Judiciary from the consolidated revenue fund of the State, and also ensure accountability, transparency, effective and efficient utilization of funds and other related matters.
When operational, the State legislature and the judiciary arm shall manage their capital and recurrent expenditure in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
The bill which was sponsored by the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin and eight others was passed into law barely 24hours after the Nigerian Governors’ Forum at its 32nd teleconference meeting agreed to a uniform template for the implementation of Memorandum of Action on financial autonomy for State legislatures and judiciary.
The NGF stated that the template was endorsed by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASUN) to facilitate the implementation of financial autonomy for the State legislatures and judiciary, following a meeting comprising State Attorney Generals and the Commissioners of Finance held on June 25, 2021.
The Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said the bill which is being deliberated upon by all the 36 Houses of Assembly was aimed at enhancing and ensuring proper management of the income and expenditure of the Legislatures across the Country.
Hon Ogundoyin assured that the bills was painstakingly deliberated upon in order to give legal support and framework to the finances of the two arms of government.
In his contribution, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Muhammad Fadeyi said the laws when assented by the Governor will give total freedom to both the judiciary and the Legislature, putting an end to their dependence on the Executive arm of Government.
