Court Orders Salary Increase For CJN, Nigerian Judges

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, July 16th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja on Friday ordered a substantial increment in the salaries of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and other Nigerian judges.

The trial judge, Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, gave this order in her judgment, saying “judges have been victims of great injustice” and describing their poor salaries as a “national shame”.

She gave the judgment in a suit filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastine Hon, seeking an upward review of the emoluments and salaries of judges in the country.

The salaries of Nigerian judges have remained stagnant since 2008 when they were last reviewed.

Mr Hon sought among others, in his suit, an order compelling the National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country.

“It is unconstitutional and unlawful for the RMAFC to refuse to review the salaries of judges,” the judge, Mrs Obaseki-Osaghae, held before granting all the claimant’s prayers in her judgment on Friday.

She ordered that “the judgment is to be served on the 2nd defendant (AGF) immediately,” criticizing the Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, for arguing that judges have no legal right to have their salaries reviewed upwards.

The ordered that “the judgment is to be served on the 2nd defendant (AGF) immediately,” critising the Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, for arguing that judges have no legal right to have their salaries reviewed upwards.

The court ordered the RMAFC to immediately raise the salary of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to N10 million monthly from the current N3.4 million per annum, said to be far below what is earned by his counterparts in other countries.

The judge also ordered the RMAFC to review the salaries of other heads of courts and their judges ranging between N9 million to N7 million monthly.