Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that the Federal Government will destroy criminal justice system in various states if the Executive Order 10 is implemented.
Governor Wike said 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.
He made this assertion in his keynote address at the third Annual Nigerian Criminal Law Review Conference organised by the Rule of Law Development Foundation in Abuja, yesterday.
He said ahead of the 2023 general election, the Federal Government, which has been hostile to judges, now suddenly wants to lure the judiciary to assume it believes in independence of judiciary by enacting Executive Order 10.
“Independence is not to take resources and preside over award of contract. If you cannot give judgement according to your conscience; if you cannot give judgement according to the law, then, there is no independence. And this, of course, affects the criminal justice system”, he stated.
Governor Wike also pointed out that politicisation of issue of security by the Federal Government has continued to negatively affect the criminal justice system in the country.