Financial Autonomy For States Legislature, Judiciary Takes Off With April Allocation
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – Following a Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed last week Thursday in Abuja, the implementation of the direct disbursement of funds from the State Consolidated Revenue Fund is expected to commence from April allocation.
Accordingly, Governments of the respective States shall credit the accounts of each tier of government from the Consolidated Accounts of the State.
In this wise, there shall be established in each State, a State Account Allocation Committee (SAAC) to be given legislative backing in the various Fund Management Laws and charged with the responsibility to oversee the distribution of available resources to each arm of Government.
These were part of the resolutions reached by the Conference of Speakers of Houses of Assembly, State House of Assembly, Chief of Staff to the President, Presidential Implementation Committee, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria (PASAN), Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The MoA clearly stated that each State with the pro-rata amount due each of the two arms of Government under the 2021 Appropriation for each State shall commence from April 2021.
The Memorandum of Action for the implementation of financial autonomy for states legislature and judiciary, was the culmination of several meetings and negotiations to bring to an end to the industrial action embarked upon by the two Unions which has paralyzed activities in all State Houses of Assembly and the courts.
The memorandum also agreed on the implementation mechanism of the financial autonomy to the states legislature and judiciary.
Some of the resolutions contained in the MoA indicate that annually, upon the determination of budget ceilings or envelopes from the Budget Committee of the State, anchored by the Budget Office of the State headed by the Commissioner in charge, each arm of government – Executive, Judiciary, Legislature, acting through its own Budget and/or Funds Management Committee, shall prepare its budget estimates and submit same to the State House of Assembly.
The parties also agreed that the ongoing Industrial Action shall be called off with immediate effect from the date of the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Action (MOA), provided the states implement its items according to the stipulated timeframe.
