On Wednesday, the House of Representatives advanced a bill, forwarded by President Bola Tinubu, for the final reading, seeking to revise the salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits of judicial officers nationwide.
Under the proposed adjustments, judges are slated for an over 800% salary increase, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria set to receive an annual basic salary and allowances totaling N64.6 million, a significant rise from the current rates. Similarly, other Supreme Court justices would see their annual basic salaries and regular allowances exceed N60 million.
Several Senior Advocates of Nigeria have thrown their support behind the initiative, arguing that better-compensated judicial officers would be less vulnerable to corruption.
The bill aims to amend the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act, No. 6, 2002, by removing specific provisions concerning judicial office holders. If endorsed by the President, the legislation will become effective from January 1, 2024.
According to the bill’s provisions, the Chief Justice of Nigeria would receive an annual regular allowance and salary amounting to N64.6 million, or N5.38 million monthly. Additionally, non-regular allowances such as leave allowance, duty tour allowance, and estacode would be provided.
Supreme Court justices would also enjoy substantial increases, with annual regular allowances and basic salaries exceeding N60 million. Similar adjustments are proposed for the President of the Court of Appeal and justices of the Court of Appeal.
The bill extends these salary revisions to judges of various federal and state courts, ensuring parity in remuneration across the judiciary.
Comparing the percentages using the approved salary formula by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the monthly salary and allowances of the CJN are set to surge by 860.48% under the proposed bill.
The House Committee on Judiciary has summoned key stakeholders, including ministers, judicial officials, and union leaders, to discuss the longstanding issue of inadequate judicial remuneration. The Nigerian Bar Association and Senior Advocates of Nigeria have lauded the executive and legislative branches for the proposed salary increments, echoing calls from various quarters for improved judicial compensation.
