The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, has tasked the National Assembly to make the National Judicial Council review salaries of Judges every four years.
The CJN disclosed this during the judiciary recommendations at the national public hearing of the Senate Committee on review of the
“The NJC should collect, control and disburse all monies, capital and recurrent, for the judiciary. Part 1 of the third Schedule Paragraph 21 to the Constitution should be altered to include sub-paragraph ‘h’ to the effect that NJC should in conjunction with the Salaries and Wages Commission, fix salaries and other emoluments of Judicial Staff, in the case of Judicial Officers, to review such salaries no later than four years from the last exercise.
By the dictate of Section 84 (1), the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) reviewed judges’ salary by the enactment of Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2008. Since this Act has not been reviewed with effect from 2008, Judges’ salaries have remained the same for about 13 years,” he pointed out.
The House of Representatives urged in the recent review of the constitution, that Local Governments should be made a tier of government with a uniform tenure, calling for more autonomy at that level, and more women’s participation in governance.