On Wednesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asked the Senate to pass his proposed bill on new judicial officers’ remuneration so they can access fringe benefits among other allowances.
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed Tinubu’s request at plenary while reading out his letter to lawmakers.
Recommended reading: Tinubu seeks passage of bill on judicial officers’ remuneration amid N342 billion judiciary budget
Tinubu stated that judicial officers needed an improved welfare package.
The letter reads,”
- “Transmission of judicial office holders’ salaries and allowances bill, 2024.
- “ In accordance with the provisions of section 58, sub-section two of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
- “I forward herein, the judicial office holders, salaries, and allowances bill, 2024, for the kind consideration of the senate.“The judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill seeks to prescribe salaries and allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officials to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.“While I hope that the judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill 2024 will be carefully, yet expeditiously considered and passed by the Senate.”
Nairametrics recalls that on Tuesday the House of Representatives was urged by Tinubu to pass the bill.
The request scaled through as it was passed by the lawmakers on Wednesday.
Recommended reading: Budget Padding: Some ‘Senior’ Senators got N500 million each from 2024 Budget – Sen. Jarigbe
What you should know
- Nairametrics recalls that the National Assembly passed the 2024 appropriation bill in January, raising its size from Tinubu’s proposed N27.5 trillion to N28.7 trillion.
- Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale quoted the president saying afterwards “Funding the judiciary is a major element in our effort to support a just, rules-based society. Statutory transfer to the Judiciary has been increased from 165 billion naira to 342 billion naira”.
- An upward review of the budgetary allocations for the judiciary has been a request made by the National Judicial Council, as well as the Nigerian Bar Association.
- In a recent meeting of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, said that inadequate funding is crippling the rule of law in Nigeria and other West African countries.
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