BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr Orji Uche Orji has explained that with the new law in place, both the legislature and judiciary would have the latitude and leverage to perform their duties without any executive hindrance in the state.
Orji stated this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Abakaliki on the outcome of the Executive Council meeting.
According to him, Governor David Umahi has assented into law, the bill on legislative and judiciary autonomy recently passed by the Ebonyi House of Assembly to strengthen the workings of government.
He said that the assenting the bill into law by the governor would tighten the principle of separation of powers among three arms of the government.
"It is a national issue and let me say that by virtue of this, we have really tightened the principle of separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government.
"Once the law is made, it is for the present and the future and we do believe that with the law in place, there won’t be any altercation among the three arms of government,” Orji said.
He also noted that the autonomy of the three arms of government would boost good governance, promote democracy by enhancing the governmental functions.
He explained that the law tagged Ebonyi Legislature Funds Management Law 009 of 2021, was an Executive Bill which conceptualised by the Executive Council and sent to the House of Assembly for legislation.
“The needful was done and the bill passed through first, second and third readings, including a public hearing before its passage and signing into law by the governor.
“The law was presented today to the Executive Council for us to appreciate the development that we have had in that regard,” he added.
He further said that the law on judiciary autonomy called the State Judiciary Funds Management Law 010 of 2021 was also presented to the Executive Council to appreciate.
“The enactment of the two laws are in keeping with the yearnings of the people that the legislature and judiciary as arms of government should have autonomy in terms of funding.
“Ebonyi is about the first state in the federation to have done that and we did applaud the governor for taking the bold steps in keying into this," he said
