The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has confirmed that the Federal Government has begun the implementation of the 300 per cent pay hike for judicial officers.
Fagbemi made this confirmation on Monday at the 12th convocation ceremony of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, in Ekiti State.
He described the move as an important first step in the President Bola Tinubu administration’s resolve to strengthen the judiciary.
According to him, one ongoing concern before he took over the mantle of judicial leadership was the poor remuneration of officers.
“I am again pleased to report that a major intervention of the Tinubu administration in the judiciary is the recent 300 per cent upward review of the remuneration of judicial officers in Nigeria across board. To be true, I can confirm that the implementation of this has begun in earnest,” he said.
Arogidigba Global Journal recalls that President Tinubu had in August signed into law a bill seeking a 300 per cent increase in salaries and allowances for judicial officials.
Fagbemi’s comment came after the Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of local government autonomy in what many have described as a watershed in the nation’s democratic journey.
Earlier in the year, Fagbemi had sued the 36 state governors over alleged mismanagement of local government funds.
Months later, the apex court ruled that it was illegal for states to hold local government funds.
Before the verdict, local government funds were paid into a joint account managed by state governments and on behalf of LGAs in their domains.