The Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike has raised an alarm that the Executive Order 10 signed by the Federal Government was a sharp move aimed at luring judges ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He has also warned that the Executive Order 10 will destroy the criminal justice system in states when implemented.
Delivering his keynote address at the 3rd Annual Nigerian Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja on Monday, Governor Wike said the Executive Order 10 of the Federal Government, which permits the deduction of funds from each State account to finance the judiciary, is politically motivated and geared towards the 2023 general election.
The Governor who wondered why the federal government which has been hostile to the judiciary, suddenly wants to lure Judges to assume it believes in the independence of the judiciary, noted that the enaction of Executive Order 10 was a sharp move ahead of the 2023 general election.
He also pointed out that the politicisation of the issue of Security by the Federal Government has continued to negatively affect the criminal justice system in the country, adding that the prevailing cases of kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery which threatens the very existence and stability of the nation clearly justifies the establishment of State or Community Police.
“Independence is not to take resources and preside over the award of contract. If you cannot give judgment according to your conscience; if you cannot give judgment according to the law, then there is no independence.
“And this of course affects the criminal justice system.
“The truth of the matter is that with the current strength of the Nigeria Police Force which stands at about 372000 (Three Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand), the Nigeria Police Force lacks the operational capacity to fulfil its primary or core mandate of crime detection, crime prevention and maintenance of public safety, law and order or protection of lives and property of persons in Nigeria.”
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in the exercise of his powers and pursuant to Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria issued the Executive Order 10, 2020 granting States Legislature & Judiciary financial autonomy.
The Order was signed by President Buhari in May, 2020.
