TheCable

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says whatever agreement the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) reached with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) is not binding on his state.

JUSUN had, on April 6, embarked on a nationwide strike in protest of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary.

Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, said on Friday that Kayode Fayemi and Aminu Tambuwal, governors of Ekiti and Sokoto, respectively, had on behalf of the NGF, appended their signatures to an agreement reached on May 20 between the government and the workers.

But speaking at the inauguration of the senate building of the Rivers State University on Saturday, Wike said it is unfortunate that the NGF signed an agreement with the striking workers on behalf of state governments without consulting with Rivers.

The governor said the state government has commenced implementation of “no work, no pay policy”, adding that he will not sign any agreement with JUSUN because both judicial and legislative arms of government in the state enjoy full autonomy.

“Rivers state government has implemented financial autonomy for the legislature and judiciary. The judiciary has collected first and second quarters of their capital fund. We still use our money to do infrastructure for them. In spite of that, we release and give to them their capital expenditure,” Wike said.

“Governors’ forum is not a government. It is an association of governors to share ideas and not to sign agreement on behalf of state government. Even when they say something, I will have to come back to the state and call state executive council meeting, and we will take it as our resolution that this is what we are going to do.

“So, whatever they have signed with JUSUN, let me tell you people, it is not binding on Rivers state government.”