Edo court workers protest move to repeal judiciary, Assembly financial autonomy laws

By Jethro Ibileke

Members of the Edo State chapter of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Edo State House of Assembly, demanding that lawmakers abandon plans to repeal laws granting financial autonomy to the judiciary and legislature.

The protesters, who carried placards, called for the immediate withdrawal of two bills sponsored by the Majority Leader, Sunday Ojezele.

The bills are titled, “A Bill to Repeal the Edo State Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law, 2023” and “A Bill to Repeal the Edo State House of Assembly Funds Management Law, 2023.”

Speaking at the Assembly gate, the state JUSUN Chairman, Comrade Charles Orien, said the protesters were asking lawmakers to “throw the proposed bills away.”

He argued that any move to repeal or amend the Financial Autonomy Law would undermine the independence of both institutions.

“We are here because of our financial autonomy. The House of Assembly, last week, wanted to repeal the financial autonomy for the judiciary. After agitation, they said it was an error, that they wanted to do an amendment. We find out that the amendment and the repeal are the same thing,” Orien said.

“They want to take away the autonomy. During the course of amendment, they will take away the autonomy and bring in another law that will not suit the judiciary and the House of Assembly. We will not accept it because we suffered for it for 10 years before we got it. We will not agree,” he added.

Orien said the union had come to meet the Speaker and that his response would determine their “next line of action.”

“We want them to stop everything. We don’t need repeal, we don’t need amendments. They are not sincere. We are here fighting for autonomy but the Assembly workers are there looking at us,” he said.

Responding, the Speaker of the House, Yekini Idaiye, said the use of the word ‘repeal’ was an error and that the intention was to amend the laws.

He explained that the proposed amendment was aimed at establishing an agency to ensure accountability and the proper execution of projects under the autonomy arrangement.

The protest comes weeks after a leadership shake-up in the 8th Edo Assembly.