Reps’ Judiciary Committee Chair Wants Tinubu’s Attention On Dilapidated Court Buildings After Judges’ Pay Raise

The chairman of the House of Representatives committee on judiciary, Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to address the infrastructural decay in the nation’s judiciary to enhance quick dispensation of justice.

In a statement on Friday, March 22, in Abuja, Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun state, applauded the president for taking steps to address the welfare of judges in the country through the Judges’ salaries and allowances bill.

He also applauded the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and the entire members of the House for speedily passing the bill into law to improve the table home package of judicial officers in the country.

When the bill is signed into law, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Appeal and other categories of judicial officers will be entitled to improve monthly salaries as well as regular and non-regular allowances.

Oke said that with the new development, judicial officers are now better placed to deliver services to the Nigerian people.

“The last time the salaries of judicial officers were reviewed was in 2007. So, we are glad that Mr President, the Speaker, and the Attorney General have heeded our plea and approved new salaries and allowances for them.

“With this, the nation can be assured of improved dispensation of justice because the welfare of the judicial workforce cannot be dismissed,” the statement read in part.

He however said that with the steps taken to address the welfare of judicial officers, the President should now focus attention on the infrastructure in the nation’s courts.

He said: “The decay in our court premises and residential quarters of our judges need to be looked into. The more we have better infrastructure, the better the readiness of our judicial officers to dispense services to society at large.

“The Court of Appeal is struggling with the management of off-season elections petitions. Tribunals have 20 cases currently ongoing and the judiciary itself does not have adequate manpower. They can’t recruit if they don’t have enough resources to pay them. So, we plead with our beloved President to look at this too”

He also appealed to the President to heed the yearnings of members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria who have been agitating for better remuneration in the past few years.

He however tasked the Judiciary to continue to perform their job without fear or favour, even as he reminded them not to forget that they remain the representative of God on earth and the last hope of the common man.