Ondo NBA Demands Judicial Financial Autonomy, Decries Collapse of Judicial System
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| The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) |
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Ondo State have jointly called for immediate and full financial autonomy for the judiciary, describing the current state of the judicial arm in the state as comatose and alarming.
In a powerful communiqué addressed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on June 19, the chairmen of the NBA branches in Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo, Owo, and Ikare condemned the prolonged closure of courts following the strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), warning that the paralysis of the judicial system has thrown the state into chaos, lawlessness, and growing insecurity.
The letter, signed by Onimisi F. Umar Esq. (Akure), Omotora O. Odusola Esq. (Okitipupa), Henry I. Akingbesote Esq. (Ondo), Chief Kunle Ijalana (Owo), and Omotan Ogunmodede Esq. (Ikare), squarely blamed the executive arm of government for neglecting its constitutional obligation to ensure the judiciary’s financial independence.
Quoting the landmark Supreme Court judgment in A.G. Abia State & Ors v. A.G. Federation (2022), the NBA leaders stressed that without financial autonomy, the judiciary cannot function independently or impartially.
> “The judiciary's independence will remain notional and illusory until it enjoys true financial autonomy,” the communiqué stated. “The current situation undermines not only the courts but the rule of law itself.”
The NBA painted a grim picture of the state of court infrastructure across Ondo, highlighting decaying facilities, lack of basic equipment, and the alarming trend of court staff outsourcing sensitive documentation to public business centres due to a lack of computers and stationery.
“It is a gross breach of confidentiality and professionalism when court clerks must take files to business centres to type official court records,” the letter noted.
The NBA also condemned the government’s recent push for mandatory electronic filing through COMIS, calling it a poorly executed initiative that has imposed heavy financial burdens on litigants while offering no real technological benefit.
> “The introduction of compulsory e-filing without adequate infrastructure is not only exploitative but a mockery of digital justice reform,” the group said.
Further criticizing the government’s alleged financial manipulation of the judiciary, the NBA argued that the claim of a lack of funds does not hold water, especially in light of increased federal allocations under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“It would be disingenuous for the state government to cite funding constraints when all states are benefiting from increased revenue from the federal government,” the communiqué stated.
The NBA demanded the immediate release of funds earmarked for the judiciary in the 2025 Appropriation Law and called on the government to comply with constitutional provisions guaranteeing judicial financial autonomy.
“The judiciary exists not to generate revenue but to serve justice and preserve social order,” the NBA wrote. “Failure to restore it may lead to prolonged crisis with grave consequences for governance and public trust.”
The NBA chairmen concluded with a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to respond positively, warning that failure to act would exacerbate the crisis and threaten the stability of the state’s democratic institutions.
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