Group lauds Buhari’s executive order 10, says it’s pro-poor

Save the Poor Coalition (SPC) has described the Executive Order 10 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari as the socio-political restructuring for the poor, stressing that it will help to consolidate democracy at the grassroots level.
  
Speaking after its meeting yesterday, its National Coordinator, Emeka Enechi, said SPC sees the President’s initiative as commendable, since the law has granted financial autonomy to states legislature and judiciary.
   
While noting that the autonomy to the two critical institutions has unbundled freedom and devolved power to the people, Enechi said the people have received the major ingredients for the consolidation of democracy at the grassroots.
 
He noted that the big issue in the country’s democracy has been a situation where governors paraded themselves as emperors by emasculating the independence of the state legislature and judiciary.
  
Enechi, said, “The SPC views Executive Order 10 2020, as restructuring for the poor. In addition the law devolves power and consolidates democracy at the grassroots level.
  
“By granting financial autonomy to states legislature and judiciary, we urge Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to give immediate effect to the order and commend President Buhari for the bold step. We also urge the governors to comply with Executive Order 10.”

The group lamented that while about 48 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue goes to states and local councils, governors had not allowed democratic dividends to trickle down to the masses due to their stranglehold on the third tier of government, as well as the judicial and legislative arms since the return of democracy in 1999.
 
On the likelihood of the governors challenging execution of the order in the law courts, Enechi said, “I would rather you ask the governors why they didn’t oppose suspension of debts in billions of Naira President Buhari gave them as intervention funds.
  
“They did not also oppose the moratorium on repayment of the billions they borrowed and so why would they now oppose devolution of powers to the people? Bear in mind that for the Executive Order 10, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), must have plugged up all the gaps,” he added.