Executive order 10: Governors’ undemocratic grip on power, broken

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

On May 20, 2020, the Executive Order 10 guaranteeing financial autonomy to legislative and judicial arms of government in states was signed thereby enthroning genuine Separation of Powers at the state.

Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), South East zone therefore applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for making it a law,  saying it will henceforth stop state governors from parading themselves as emperors in their respective states.

The organization in a statement signed by its Chairman, Right Honourable Stanley Ohajuruka and Secretary, Godwin Onwusi, was titled, “Executive Order 2020, Repeal of Emperorship and Implementation of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers at the state level.”

It expressed its gratitude to Mr President, stating  that the order has set the stage for the repeal of the unbridled pocketing  of the other arms by the governors, which absolutely is unknown to the 1999 Nigerian  Constitution.

BOS noted that the toga governors wore beclouded them from adherence to the tenets of separation of powers, that has resulted in non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary as captured in the extant law.

The group stated,  “To BSO, the Executive Order 10, 2020 has set the stage to repeal the emperorship toga which most of the governors are wearing and which is unknown to our constitution and which beclouded them from optimal performance and adherence to the fine tenets of Separation of Powers.

“A cursory genuine assessment of democracy at the state level gazettes project the legislatures and tepid state judiciary as rubber stamp. This dampens development, creates insecurity, gross unemployment and paralysis of local council. Is that what we want?

“It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, in exercise of the powers vested in him as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under Section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), signed the Executive Order 10, 2020 on May 20, 2020.

“The order extends to the execution and maintenance of the Constitution, laws made by the National Assembly( including but not limited to Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantees financial autonomy of the state legislature and the state judiciary.”

The organization dismissed the opposition of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to the order, especially Section 7(b) which mandates Accountant General of the Federation to take appropriate action to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Order.

“If Section 121(3) of the Constitution was implemented by our Governors, a.k.a. Emperors before now, would there be any need for Mr. President to sign Executive Order 10. Lets be real.

“There is no democracy at the state level. That is why they answer Executive Governors, when there are no two governors in a state. And this is why democracy is more or less in recession in Nigeria.

“BSO posits that the intendment of the Order is supervisory or in other words, proper supervision to ensure implementation by recalcitrant governors who fail to implement the provision of Section 121 (3) of the Constitution, which they swore to uphold,” BSO stated.

Contrary to claims that the Order infringes on true federalism, South East BSO said “true federalism is better served and indeed actualised when you have independent legislature and judiciary at the state level.”

The group raised the following posers: “Have you asked yourself why the governors are more preoccupied with political domination of their citizens with security votes than socio-economic development? Is there freedom at the state level? Is there any law which prohibits a state to generate electricity? Is there any law which prevents a state from embarking on agrarian revolution?”

The Nigerian governors according to BSO South Eastern chapter, maintained that the Governors as “Emperors” were averse to alternative view points and crave for adoration and praise singers, which hinders development.

For the benefit of all, the governors were charged to comply fully with firstline charge for funding of state legislature and judiciary as it would in the long run, result in a win-win situation for our collective good of all.

BOS once more commended the President for this patriotic zeal to strengthening institutions at the other tiers of government to make them independent and accountable to dispense  the doctrine of Separation of Power as therein contained in the 1999 Constitution.