The Oyo State House of Assembly has approved into law a bill extending financial autonomy to the state’s Legislature and Judiciary into law.
The bill, titled the Oyo State Judiciary and Oyo State House of Assembly Funds Management 2021 bill, aims to manage funds accruing to the Oyo State House of Assembly and the Oyo State Judiciary from the state’s consolidated revenue fund, as well as ensure accountability, transparency, effective and efficient fund utilization, and other related matters.
When fully functioning, the State legislature and judiciary will handle capital and recurrent expenditure in conformity with the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution, as amended.
The bill, sponsored by Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, and eight others, was signed into law less than 24 hours after the Nigerian Governors’ Forum agreed to a uniform template for the implementation of the Memorandum of Action on Financial Autonomy for State Legislatures and the Judiciary at its 32nd teleconference meeting.
Following a meeting of State Attorney Generals and Commissioners of Finance on June 25, 2021, the template was endorsed by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASUN) to facilitate the implementation of financial autonomy for the State legislatures and judiciary.
The Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said the bill which is being deliberated upon by all the 36 Houses of Assembly was aimed at enhancing and ensuring proper management of the income and expenditure of the Legislatures across the Country.
Hon Ogundoyin assured that the bill was painstakingly deliberated upon in order to give legal support and framework to the finances of the two arms of government.
