Tinubu guarantees assessment of judges’ salaries to curb judicial corruption

President Bola Tinubu has promised to assessment Nigerian judges’ remuneration.

Mr Tinubu made the promise whereas receiving the management of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA) on Thursday on the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He mentioned the federal government would assess the templates for salaries of judicial officers.

The NBA delegation was led by the affiliation’s president, Yakubu Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, mentioned in a press release on Friday.

The president, in response to the assertion famous that the struggle in opposition to corruption necessitates “a complete assessment of the salaries and allowances of judicial officers”.

He promised that his administration would conclude a radical assessment of the remuneration templates of judicial officers within the nation.

Recalling Mr Tinubu’s justice sector reforms in Lagos State as governor, Mr Ngelale mentioned the president was conversant with the difficulty of judges’ welfare “given his landmark success in reforming justice administration in Lagos State.”

“We should take care of the assessment of remuneration if we really wish to struggle corruption within the judiciary. We are going to have a look at the associated fee in addition to the results,” the president mentioned in response to a request by Mr Maikyau.

Talking on the prevailing vacancies at Nigeria’s Supreme Courtroom, Mr Tinubu acknowledged the necessity for the Nationwide Judicial Council (NJC) to suggest candidates for the roles.

“Majority of them are on vacation now and after they return, we’ll check out what they’ve and we’ll fill the vacancies. It’s a achievement of an obligation,” he mentioned.

The President lauded the NBA for inviting him to declare open the affiliation’s 63rd Annual Basic Convention this weekend in Abuja.

In his remarks, Mr Maikyau counseled the president for appointing distinguished attorneys into his cupboard, together with Lateef Fagbemi, a SAN because the Lawyer-Basic of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Background

The problem of poor remuneration for judges has dominated public discourse, with stakeholders calling for its upward assessment.

In July 2022, the Nationwide Industrial Courtroom of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja ordered a considerable increment within the salaries of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and different Nigerian judges.

The trial choose, Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, mentioned “judges have been victims of nice injustice” describing their poor salaries as a “nationwide disgrace”.

The salaries of Nigerian judges have remained stagnant since 2008 after they had been final reviewed.

On the difficulty of vacancies on the Supreme Courtroom, PREMIUM TIMES reported the rank of its judges decreased to 13 since August final yr.

The courtroom is barely getting alongside amid a mounting workload that’s endlessly swollen with every kind of appeals originating from all components of the nation.

In September final yr, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, lamented how the plummeting variety of justices was including to the courtroom’s workload.

Mr Ariwoola, as the top of the Supreme Courtroom, has now, in keeping with apply, despatched notices to the highest brass of the authorized occupation to appoint candidates to fill accessible slots on the courtroom’s bench.

The Supreme Courtroom’s bench had been severely depleted owing to deaths and retirement of Justices.

Edited: Adeyemi Adesomoju, Tosin Omoniyi