The President of the Court of Appeal, in Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has urged the executive arm of government to review the salaries of judicial officers in the country.
According to her, salaries of judicial officers have been stagnated for over ten years.
Justice Dongban-Mensen made the appeal in Abuja, the nation’s capital, during the opening of the 2021/22 Court of Appeal Legal Year.
She noted that the salary structure for judicial officers and staff in Nigeria have consistently ranked poorly when compared to that of their counterpart in other African and Commonwealth countries.
The appellate Court President said that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who is the Head of the Judiciary in Nigeria, as at today takes home N279, 497 as monthly salary, while his brother justices on the Supreme Court bench go home the sum of N206,425.
Justice Dongban-Mensem said as President of Court of Appeal, she receives the sum of N206,425, while other justices on the bench of the Court of Appeal, go home with N166,285 every month.
“I implore the government of the federation and states to urgently review the salaries and allowances of judicial officers and staff.
“The salaries of justices are static with no graduation as in the civil and public service. We have been on one salary grade for over 10 years now.
“May I also call on government to increase financial allocations that will enable us to introduce technical innovations that would improve adjudication”, she said
She further urged the federal and states governments to live up to their obligations under the implementation of financial autonomy of state legislature and the state judiciary order, 2020, known as Executive Order 10.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has assured that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, will review the welfare of judicial officers generally to ensure greater efficiency
He also appealed to the Court of Appeal to maintain the sanctity and credibility of the Court and to ensure that the sacred integrity reposed in them remain unshaken at all times in order to foster and promote public confidence in all their judgments.
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