The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has stated that the Judicial Office Holders’ Salaries and Allowances Bill, 2024, passed into law by President Bola Tinubu, will help the justice system work in the interest of Nigerians.
He disclosed this in his statement on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
The Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, had earlier disclosed that the President had assented to the bill.
Bill Assented to by the President
In March this year, Nairametrics reported that the President had asked the Senate to pass his proposed bill on new judicial officers’ remuneration so they could access fringe benefits among other allowances.
He told the Senate in a letter that the Judicial Office Holders’ Salaries and Allowances Bill seeks to prescribe salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits for judicial officials to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the bill, paving the way for the President to sign it into law.
What the AGF Is Saying
In his statement titled “Judicial Officers’ Salary Hike: AGF Fagbemi Hails Tinubu, National Assembly,” the AGF, who is the chief law officer of the federation, stated that the President’s assent is historic because it addresses the concerns of judicial officers across the country regarding better conditions of service.
He explained that judicial officers in Nigeria have had the same salary for almost two decades, adding that Tinubu’s assent to the bill demonstrates his commitment to the sustainable reform of the administration of justice.
“This is an important component of this reform. The review of judicial remuneration is a first and important step towards achieving a judicial system that works in the interest of all Nigerians. Going forward, my ministry, in partnership with justice sector stakeholders, will work to ensure that additional issues related to the strengthening of the judiciary are identified and resolved,” Fagbemi stated.
The AGF appreciated the 10th National Assembly for their speedy passage of the bill.
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 as saying afterwards, “Funding the judiciary is a major element in our effort to support a just, rules-based society. Statutory transfers to the judiciary have 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.