By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The National Industrial Court, Abuja, will July 15, give judgment in the suit seeking upward review of salaries of judicial officers in the country.
Justice Osatohanmeen Obaseki-Osagie, fixed the date for judgement after the parties in the matter, argued and adopted their final addresses.
The matter filed by the claimant, Chief Sebastine Hon SAN, has the National Assembly (1st Defendant), the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (2nd Defendant), and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (3rd Defendant) and National Judicial Council as the 4th Defendant.
At the sitting, Tuesday, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, represented the Claimant, Charles Yoila announced appearance for National Assembly (1st Defendant), Ekene Elodimuo Principal State Counsel, Federal Ministry of Justice represented the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (3rd Defendant), while Kunle Adegoke appeared for the National Judicial Council (4th Defendant).
Subsequently, the claimant is praying the court to compel the defendants to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country.
An affidavit filed by Hon, in support of the originating summons, averred that as a legal practitioner, “who has practiced in all the levels of courts in Nigeria, I know that poor pay for judicial officers is seriously affecting the quality of judgments and rulings those officers are delivering and the discharge of other functions associated with their offices.”
He claimed that the current economic reality in the country requires that the salaries and allowances of the nation’s judges be urgently improved upon.
In his argument, he said all the parties unanimously agreed that the last salary adjustment of the claimants was done in 2008, and that none of the defendants had justified the reason for refusal to obey the constitutional provision.
Awomolo said the treatment meted to the claimants under 84(4) of the constitution must be redressed.
He pleaded with the court to stop the AGF from blowing hot and cold.
“We have moved from mere technicalities to substantial justice”, so I urge court to hold the AGF to his public statements admitting poor remuneration of judicial officers.
Arguing his brief, Counsel to the NJC, Kunle Adegoke, urged the court to uphold the suit, stressing that salaries of judicial officers have been stagnant for over 14 years without review.
Objecting the view of the NASS and AGF that the claimant lacks the locus standi to institute the suit, the NJC counsel reminded the court that the issue of locus standi has been liberalized all over the world especially when an issue borders on public interest.
He insisted that the NASS and the AGF have failed in their duty to better the remuneration of judicial office holders.
