Chukwudi Nweje
Former national legal adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) has called for better funding for the judiciary.
He commended the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Judiciary over their rejection of what he called “the envelope budget” allocated to the Judiciary in 2021 budget.
He said the judiciary was the bedrock of democracy and catalyst for the country’s growth, and must therefore be accorded the same regards applicable to the executive and legislature.
“The judiciary is an arm of government that must be accorded the same regard applicable to the other two arms. The treatment of the judiciary like an agency of the executive must stop forthwith.”
Banire who is also former chairman of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), said the budget of the judiciary should be in bulk, rather than piecemeal.
“We must remember that not only is the Judiciary the bedrock of our democracy, but the catalyst for the country’s growth. Without efficient administration of justice, no investment can be attracted and peace, essential to develop the nation, will continue to elude us.
“A nation that maltreats it judiciary cannot be part of a civilised world where dispensation of justice is an essential element of nation-building.”
He described the welfare of judicial officers as appalling, even as judges continue to operate under dilapidated infrastructure and called on well-meaning Nigerians to join the senate and house committees in demanding better funding for the judiciary.