Court Orders Salary Increases For CJN, Other Judges

• Directs immediate compliance by FG

BY EDMOND ODOK – It is cheering news for judicial officers in the country as the National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Abuja on Friday reviewed and increased their salaries in a landmark judgment.

Ruling in a suit brought before the court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Sebastian Hon, the presiding judge, Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, declared that it is regrettable that the salaries of judges and justices have stagnated for over 14 years with the government doing nothing to ameliorate the problem.

The court held that despite the increased workload on judicial officers, they have continued to suffer in penury owing to their “extremely low salaries and allowances”, which the court described as “very embarrassing”.

According to Justice Obaseki-Osagie; “There is no doubt that from evidence adduced before this court that salaries payable to judges as well as their conditions of service, has been greatly altered to their disadvantage.

“Judicial officers are daily impoverished by the devaluation of the Naira. They have suffered financial hardship and embarrassment owing to their poor pay. It is a shame to the country.

“In spite of this, our judges have continued to carry out their statutory duties. Justices are themselves victims of a great injustice. What an irony.”

Justice Obaseki-Osagie said it is the right of judges in the country to have their salaries reviewed upwards, periodically, adding that the NIC, as the court that determines labour and employment-related matters in the country, has the constitutional powers to compel the Federal Government, through its agencies, to review upwards the remuneration of judicial officers.

Consequently, the court, made the following orders, increasing the monthly salary of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to N10 million, while that of justices of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Appeal has been increased to N9 million.

Similarly, the court increased the monthly salaries of Court of Appeal Justices, Chief Judges, President of the Industrial Court, Grand Khadis, and President of Customary Courts to N8 million, as well as N7 million for other judges nationwide.

Furthermore, the court directed that the order should be served on the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) with the Federal Government ordered to effect payment forthwith.

The Court also awarded N1.5m cost against RMAFC, the AGF, and the National Assembly (NASS), who were all cited as defendants in the case.