President Bola Tinubu has promised to review Nigerian judges’ remuneration.
Mr Tinubu made the promise while receiving the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said the government would assess the templates for salaries of judicial officers.
The NBA delegation was led by the association’s president, Yakubu Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement on Friday.
The president, according to the statement noted that the fight against corruption necessitates “a comprehensive review of the salaries and allowances of judicial officers”.
He promised that his administration would conclude a thorough review of the remuneration templates of judicial officers in the country.
Recalling Mr Tinubu’s justice sector reforms in Lagos State as governor, Mr Ngelale said the president was conversant with the issue of judges’ welfare “given his landmark success in reforming justice administration in Lagos State.”
“We must deal with the review of remuneration if we truly want to fight corruption in the judiciary. We will look at the cost as well as the consequences,” the president said in response to a request by Mr Maikyau.
Speaking on the existing vacancies at Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Mr Tinubu acknowledged the need for the National Judicial Council (NJC) to recommend candidates for the roles.
“Majority of them are on holiday now and when they return, we will take a look at what they have and we will fill the vacancies. It’s a fulfillment of an obligation,” he said.
The President lauded the NBA for inviting him to declare open the association’s 63rd Annual General Conference this weekend in Abuja.
In his remarks, Mr Maikyau commended the president for appointing distinguished lawyers into his cabinet, including Lateef Fagbemi, a SAN as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
