Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the Federal Government must stop using security agencies to intimidate and influence judges if it truly believes in independence of the judiciary.
The governor accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of using the issue of financial autonomy to ingratiate them selves with the judiciary after years of obvious frosty relationship between them.
Governor Wike made the remarks at the Nigerian Bar Association President’s Dinner in honour of delegates to the 61st Annual Conference of the NBA in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night.
The Rivers State governor reiterated his disagreement with the stance of the Federal Government and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum on the issue of financial autonomy for the judiciary.
He said confining autonomy for the judiciary to finance alone, is antithetical to the concept of independence of the judiciary.
He contended that it is disingenuous for the Federal Government that uses security agencies to bully judges to direct states to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary.
“Autonomy is also allowing them (judges) to do what they are supposed to do without you intimidating them. Autonomy is not, give money. Autonomy is, stop using the security agencies to influence them on what to do. We have restricted autonomy to mean where you can award contract. No, that is not autonomy alone.
“Allow them to perform. Allow them to work, according to the law, and not to tell DSS to come and meet a judge and say look, we hear this is what you people want to give as judgment on this matter. We heard that you have N2.5 million in your account. And then the judge says, well, I don’t want to be embarrassed, let me just do it the way you people want it.”