The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) have expressed their backing for the proposed 300 per cent increase in the salaries and allowances of judicial officers.
Key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Industrial Court (NIC), the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are also in support of the proposal.
The proposal is contained in the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Bill, 2024, which is before the Senate.
The bill, which had already passed second reading, was dissected at a public hearing organised by the Senate Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights/Legal Matters chaired by Sen. Mohammed Monguno in Abuja on Monday.
President Bola Tinubu had forwarded the bill to the National Assembly late last year.
Fagbemi, in a lead defence to back the bill, told the session that for nearly 17 years, judicial officers had remained on the same salaries and allowances.
He noted that current economic realities had made the remuneration of judicial officers a child’s play, adding that a series of efforts made previously to raise the pay of the officers suffered setbacks.
The AGF stated that while judicial officers stayed on the same remuneration package, public servants and political office holders had their pay raised on four different occasions in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2011 respectively.
Fagbemi spoke further, “The instant NJC proposal for a 300% increase was informed by: prevailing economic realities of increasing headline and core inflationary trends, putting in place an enabling working environment that engenders professional development and efficiency for judicial officers.
“Based on the foregoing and the expressed concerns of His Excellency, the President, over matters of improving welfare and standards in the judiciary, promoting capacity, independence and confidence in the Nigerian judiciary; I recommended the NJC proposal for the President’s consideration on 19th October 2023.
“On 20th October 2023, the President granted an unprecedented approval of a 300% increment in the remuneration of judicial officers.
“Consequently, the President directed RMAFC to review its previous May 2023 recommendation to reflect the NJC proposal.
“This culminated in the present Executive Bill that was forwarded to the National Assembly in furtherance of a cardinal part of the President’s Renewed Hope for a Better Nigeria which is deepening Judicial Reforms to promote sustainable socio-economic growth.”
Several of the stakeholders simply adopted the position of Fagbemi, which they said adequately captured the issues.
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Apart from a yearly incremental increase in their pay, the judicial officers also recommended a periodic review of the salaries and allowances every four years to reflect changing economic realities.
“I wish to remark that the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances etc) Bill 2024 is quite innovative, aside from the increment in the basic salary, it also took cognisance of certain peculiarities of the administrative structure and operation of the judiciary.
“This bill will birth an appropriate and commensurate remuneration that will ensure judicial independence and integrity”, the AGF added.
Speaking, Ariwoola, who was represented by the Chief Judge of Borno State, Justice Kashim Zanna, said there had been a “tumultuous depreciation” in the purchasing power of judicial officers since their pay was last raised in 2007.
Zanna explained, “As a simple illustration, the exchange rate of the US dollar was 130.25 as at the time the salary was fixed in 2007 and this exchange rate can be found at page eleven of the June 2009 RMAFC review report that is the source of the exchange rate as of the time it was fixed.
“Therefore, as of 2007, when the salaries were fixed, for example, a judge’s monthly gross pay before tax (661,738) divided by 130.25 is equal to $5,080 today, divided by just 1,500, it is $441.
“A salary of $5,080 has now dwindled to $441 only when it was fixed. In today’s terms, the value is equal to 7,000,600 2789.”
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, said he couldn’t agree less with presentations made by the stakeholders.
He added, “So, I’m very, very pleased to have been part of this opening ceremony, listen to the AGF, and I commend. He is the authority in government law.
“I cannot help but follow him in commending this bill and requesting its swift passage to the benefit of the judiciary in particular and Nigerians in general.”
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE