NIGERIA – (WARSOOR) – The 36 states governments have filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging the presidential executive order signed in May 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The order transferred the federal government’s responsibility of funding both the capital and recurrent expenditure of state High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal, and the Customary Courts of Appeal, to the state governments.
However, the states have argued that the executive order violated the provisions of the constitution, Channels TV reported.
They pointed out that it is the responsibility of the federal government to fund the listed courts as stipulated in sections 6 and 8(3) of the 1999 constitution.
According to This Day, the states asked the Supreme Court to quash Buhari’s executive order for being unconstitutional.
They also demanded that the federal government refunds to them the amount they spent on funding the capital projects in the listed courts since 2009.
The attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami was listed as the sole respondent in the suit.
In other news, the federal government has announced its decision to take over the control of revenue management of its 10 most lucrative enterprises, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Nigerian Tribune reported that the new initiative which was announced on Tuesday, September 22, was a result of the government’s dwindling revenues and heavy debt burden and the need to boost the resources.
Legit.ng gathered that the decision was announced by the minister of finance, budget and national planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed.
The government said the new measure will promote transparency and accountability of government revenue