From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved and directed the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission(RMFAC) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to take take measures for immediate implementation of the enhanced salary and welfare scheme for judicial officers.
President Buhari gave the directive on Friday at the official commissioning and handing over ceremony of Nabo Graham-Douglass Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt to the Council of Legal Education.
Buhari, who was represented at the event by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Jusitce, Abubakar Malami, SAN, disclosed that other initiatives are in place to significantly strengthen the capacity and independent of the judiciary, which he said remained a pillar of strength and stability for the nation’s democracy.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Dr. Umar J|ibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
According to the statement, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Chairman, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to promptly commence measures towards realization and implementation of enhanced salary and welfare scheme for the judicial officers in the country.
“This administration will, therefore, continue to support efforts to transform the judiciary, as part of a critical strategy, in ensuring a fair, progressive and prosperous society, with the rule of law as its cornerstone,” he said.
Mr. President also called on the judiciary to continue to uphold the ethics of their profession and operate with accountability and probity in the exercise of their judicial and administrative duties.
He also charged the Council of Legal Education to sustain the trust by optimally maintaining and running the project in furtherance of the quest to improve and sustain high standards in legal education.
“The legal profession thrives on sound learning, ethical values, and good character; therefore, it is our abiding duty to sustain high standards for those on whose shoulders rest the future of both the bar and the bench,” he said.
Mr. President also commended the River State Governor Nyesom Wike and congratulated the people of the State, the Council of Legal Education, Nigerian Law and the entire justice sector family for the initiative, which he said culminated in the building and handing over of the new campus to the Council of Legal Education, Nigerian Law School.
He described as commendable the naming the newly commissioned campus after Nabo Graham-Douglas, SAN; former Attorney-General of Eastern Nigeria, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Rivers State and Attorney-General of the Federation.
The National Industrial Court in Abuja recently ordered the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country.
The court, in the judgement that was delivered by Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, noted that salaries of judges and justices have been stagnated for over 14 years.
It held that despite the increased workload on judicial officers, they have continued to suffer in penury owing to their “extremely low salaries and allowances”, which the court described as “very embarrassing”.
There is no doubt that from evidence adduced before this court that salaries payable to judges as well as their conditions of service, has been greatly altered to their disadvantage.
“Judicial officers are daily impoverished by the devaluation of the Naira.
Consequently, the court, made an order, increasing the salary of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to N10million, while that of justices of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Apeal was increased to N9m.
Likewise, the court increased salaries of Court of Appeal Justices, Chief Judges, President of the Industrial Court, Grand Khadis and President of Customary Courts to N8m, even as it ordered FG to forthwith, pay N7m to other judges, monthly.
The court directed that the order should be served on the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN.