PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has signed into law a bill seeking a new salary structure for judicial officers, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The bill (now law) substantially increased the annual earnings of the CJN to N64 million, while the President of the Court of Appeal will earn N62.4 million.
A statement on Tuesday, August 13, in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Basheer Lado, a former senator, described the signing of the bill by the President as a landmark achievement and a manifestation of his unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigeria’s workforce.
The ICIR reports that the upward review of the salary of the judicial workers will also see the justices of the Supreme Court earning N61.4 million annually.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had in March, transmitted a letter to the Senate to approve a new bill seeking to provide new salaries and allowances for judicial officers in Nigeria.
Following the transmission, the Senate, on Wednesday, June 5, passed a bill proposing the upward review of the salary.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, declared the bill passed following majority support from senators, who expressed their decision through voice votes.
The Red Chamber passed the bill after deliberation on a report from its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, which its chairman, Tahir Monguno, presented.
This development came about 10 weeks after the House of Representatives passed the bill which sought to increase judicial officers’ salaries, allowances and benefits.
Announcing the signing of the bill into law, the federal government urged judicial officers to redouble their efforts to ensure that justice is served speedily.
“This extraordinary move underscores Mr President’s absolute prioritisation of the welfare of Nigerian workers above all else just like he did when he recently put on hold an ongoing Federal Executive Council meeting to assent to the new National Minimum Wage Bill of N70,000,” the statement reads in part.
According to Lado, the new Act “prescribes salaries, allowances, etc. for judicial officers to reflect the changing realities and consequentially amend the provisions of the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.), Act, No.6, 2002 (as amended) to delete the provisions relating to Judicial Office Holders.”
“This landmark decision reflects Mr President’s profound dedication to ensuring that every salary earner in Nigeria, especially those serving in vital and strategic roles, receives the recognition and compensation they deserve.
“By prioritising the financial wellbeing of our judicial officers, Mr. President is not only reinforcing the integrity of our justice system but also setting a new standard for leadership that truly values the hard work and sacrifices of all Nigerian workers,” the statement added.
Breakdown of high-ranking judicial officers’s salaries
A breakdown of the bill, as reported, showed that the CJN would receive a monthly salary of N5.4 million (N5,385,047.26) amounting to N64.8 million per annum.
It also showed that the CJN would receive a monthly basic salary of N1.1 million, and N4.3 million in regular allowances.
Beyond the CJN, the bill outlines salary adjustments for various tiers of the judiciary, with the justices of the Supreme Court earning a total package of N4.2 million, and the President of the Court of Appeal taking home a monthly package of N4.4 million.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Grand Kadi FCT Shariah Court of Appeal, President of FCT Customary Court, Chief Judge of State High Court, Grand Kadi State Shariah Court of Appeal, and President, State Customary Court of Appeal are expected to earn N42.3 million as annual regular allowances.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M