The Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, Thursday signed into law two bills granting the state judiciary and the state House of Assembly autonomy.
Briefing journalists in his office, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mike Gusa, said the laws are the one to provide for management of funds accruing to the judiciary from the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the state and the other to provide for management of funds accruing to the House of Assembly.
He said the laws will established a state Accounts Allocation Committee to allocate funds independently to the three arms of government.
He stated that the committee will be saddled with the responsibility of sharing the funds accruing to the state on a monthly basis in a manner that is agreeable to the three arms of government.
He said the judiciary allocation will be given to the Heads of Courts, while that of the Assembly the Finance Committee and then, the executive arm will take its own share.
“The aim is to strengthen democracy and separation of power. It is meant to strengthen the smooth relationship between the executive, legislature and judiciary as well as avoid any interference in the operation of the other arms of government.
“In a way, it is to give all the arms of government self autonomy.
“We are in the process of gazzetting the laws so as to make them available to the public,” Gusa added.
