Why Nigerian Judges are exposed to temptation — Senate Panel

The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters has expressed dismay over the poor remuneration packages of Nigerian Judges.

The Committee members stated their position on Wednesday during the screening of Judges, whose names were forwarded to the Senate for confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate Committee said the poor remuneration packages will expose them to compromise or outright vulnerability to corruption in the process of adjudication and  dispensation of justice.

At the beginning of the screening of the Judges by the Committee, the lawmakers disagreed on the method to be adopted in screening the eight Justices recently nominated by President Buhari from the Court of Appeal as Justices of the Supreme Court.

The nominees of President Buhari for the apex court are Lawal Garba, North West; Helen M. Ogunwumiju, South West; Addu Aboki, North West; I. M. M. Saulawa, North West; Adamu Jauro, North East; Samuel C. Oseji, South South; Tijjani Abubakar, North East; and Emmanuel A. Agim, South South.

Before the commencement of the screening, which was eventually done in the open, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in his opening remarks, bemoaned the poor welfare packages for judicial officers and Justices in the country.

Bamidele said: “The present situation in the country as regards welfare of Judges and Justices calls for a major intervention.

“Salaries and allowances of Judicial officers, Judges and Justices in Nigeria were last reviewed in 2008 through an Act of Parliament.

“As at that time, exchange rate of Naira to a US dollar was N117 as against N467 it is now, clearly showing that Judges and Justices salaries have been static over the years and even depreciating in value.”

Specifically, Senator Bamidele said presently, the take home pay of the Justices of Supreme Court per annum as far as basic salary is concerned is N2.477 million, while those of the Court of Appeal is N1.995 million and Judges of the High Court, N1.804 million.

According to him, on monthly basis, the total take home pay of Justices of Supreme Court individually is N753,000, while those of the Court of Appeal are paid N608,000 and High Court Judges, N556,000.

He added: “The enumerated poor take home packages for Judges and Justices clearly show that they are not being fortified in anyway against temptation in the line of duty.”

He added that in South Africa, the Chief Justice collects the highest salary aside members of his family being adequately taken care of, as required measures against temptation and corruption.

Buttressing Senator Bamidele’s position, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, said issues raised were very critical and requires urgent attention by the government, including the National Assembly, where a bill for upward review of 12-year-old Salary structure of the Judicial officers, Judges and Justices can be sponsored and expeditiously considered.

However when the screening was to begin with Justice Mohammed Lawan Garba, a mild drama ensued among members of the committee on the mode of action to be taken.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu North) raised an observation that it would be better for the screening of the would-be Supreme Court Justice to be held behind closed doors.

Senator James Manager (PDP-Delta Central) kicked against Utazi’s observation, noting that since 1999 that he has been in the Senate, there was no time that Supreme Court nominees were screened behind closed doors.

Manager insisted that Utazi’s observation lacked precedence and should be discarded since there were interested members of the public, especially civil society organisations like the Nigerian Bar Association and media, in attendance.

Senators Peter Nwaoboshi, Bala Na’Allah and Abdullahi Adamu agreed with Manager’s insistence that the screening of the Supreme Court nominees be done in the open, while Senator Ike Ekweremadu subtly backed Utazi, but said members of the judiciary committee could go into a closed door session without the nominees so that modalities for the screening would be perfected and adopted.

Efforts by Bamidele to subject the observations to a vote so that the issue would be resolved also hit a brick wall.

Immediately he asked that the issue be put to vote, some Senators said it would be better if the committee’s voting decision was taken behind the cameras.

The arguments almost stalled the screening process, but interventions by ranking senators and House of Representatives members in attendance led by the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Onofiok Luke, later assuaged the feelings of aggrieved Senators.

Senator Bamidele later ruled that based on the interventions, the screening of the eight Supreme Court Justices should be held in the open, which was eventually done in the presence of everybody in Room 231, the venue of the exercise.