The Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Oluwole Oke, has lamented the decaying infrastructure at court premises and residential quarters of Nigerian judges.
However, the lawmaker commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen and the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the recent passage of the bill reviewing the salaries and allowances of judicial officers across the country.
Oke, who represents the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, also lauded members of the House for unanimously voting in support of the bill on the floor of the Green Chamber earlier in the week.
The lawmaker, in a statement yesterday, observed that the decay in the nation’s court premises and residential quarters of judges needed to be looked into.
“The more we have better infrastructure, the better the readiness of our judicial officers to dispense services to the society at large.
“The Court of Appeal is struggling with management of off-season elections petitions. Tribunals have 20 cases currently ongoing and the judiciary itself does not have adequate manpower. They can’t recruit if they don’t have enough resources to pay them. So, we plead with our beloved President to look at this too,” he stated.
When the bill receives the assent of the President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, other Justices of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Appeal and other categories of judicial officers would receive improved monthly salaries as well as regular and irregular allowances. Oke noted that judicial officers would be better placed to deliver services to the Nigerian people when the bill is signed into law.
“The last time the salaries of judicial officers were reviewed was in 2007.”
So, we are glad that Mr. President, the Speaker, the Attorney General has heeded our plea and approved new salaries and allowances for them. With this, the nation can be assured of improved dispensation of justice because the welfare of the judicial workforce cannot be dismissed,” the statement added.
The lawmaker also called on the President to heed the yearnings of members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria who have been agitating for better remuneration in the past few years.
He further tasked the judiciary to continue to perform their duties without fear or favour, even as he reminded them not to forget that they remain the representatives of God on earth and the last hope of the common man.