Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has signed amendments to laws governing funds for the State House of Assembly and judiciary shortly after the legislation was passed by lawmakers.
The revised laws relate to the Edo House of Assembly Funds Management framework and the State Judiciary Financial Autonomy law.
Okpebholo signed the measures at Government House in Benin City during a meeting with Assembly Speaker Yekini Idiaye.
The governor said the amendments resolved what he described as a controversial issue involving management of capital funds.
He stressed that the executive, legislature and judiciary had distinct constitutional responsibilities.
Okpebholo said he was concerned that capital resources were not always being translated into visible public projects.
He argued that the executive should remain responsible for implementing capital projects while the legislature focused on lawmaking and oversight and the judiciary on interpretation of the law.
Speaker Idiaye said the amendments did not abolish the financial autonomy of the Assembly or judiciary.
He explained that recurrent expenditure, including salaries, would continue to be paid to the two arms.
The change, he said, related specifically to management of capital expenditure.
Under the revised arrangement, the Assembly and judiciary are expected to submit capital proposals through the appropriation process for executive implementation or approval.
Idiaye said the purpose was to reduce what he described as previous abuse of capital allocations.
He also sought to reassure workers and unions that salaries and recurrent funding were unaffected.
The amendments are likely to attract scrutiny because financial autonomy for legislatures and judiciaries is intended to reduce executive dependence.
The state government, however, maintains that the revised laws preserve autonomy while changing how capital projects are administered.
