On Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded a letter to the National Assembly seeking to pass a new bill titled “A Bill for an Act to Prescribe the Salaries, Allowances and Fringe Benefits of Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria and for Related Matters” which will provide improved remunerations and allowances for judicial officers in Nigeria.
The letter, titled “Transmission of the judicial office holders salaries and allowances etc bill 2024” and read by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen goes thus: “In accordance with the provisions of Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended), I forward, herewith, the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives.
“The Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 seeks to prescribe salaries, allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officers, to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.
“The bill, which establishes a new legal framework for the remuneration of judicial officers, will also ensure significant improvement in the welfare, capacity and independence of the judiciary.
“Whilst I hope that the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Bill, 2024 will be carefully yet expeditiously considered and passed by the House of Representatives, please accept, Rt Hon Speaker, the assurances of my highest esteem.”
On Monday, The House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary had on Monday invited the Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as the Secretary, National Judicial Council for dialogue over the poor pay of judicial officials across the country.
They are to be joined National President, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Chairman, Nation’s Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and President, Nigeria Bar Association at the meeting slated for March 25 2024.