Judgement Of Industrial Court Ordering Upward Review Of Judges’ Salary One Of The Best Things To Happen To Nigeria — Awomolo SAN

*Says New Proposed Salaries Modest When Compared With What Other Arms of Government Earn
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN has reacted to a recent judgement of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja ordering the upward review of the salaries of judges in the country after the failure of the relevant government agencies to do so after 14 years.
Recall that The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) on Friday ordered an increment in the salaries of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and other judges.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastine Hon, filed a suit seeking an upward review of the emoluments and salaries of judges in Nigeria.
He argued that the salaries of Nigerian judges have remained stagnant since 2008 when they were last reviewed.
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.
Speaking to Sunday Punch, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who led a team of other Senior Advocates of Nigeria to obtain the judgment, shared his thoughts on its implications.
According to the respected Silk, the Judgement is one of the best things that has happened to Nigeria in the pursuit of its advancement in democracy.
He said “The judgment of the National Industrial Court is one of the best things to have happened to Nigeria in the quest for the advancement of constitutional democracy. It is a decision with grave impact on the third arm of government under the constitution.”
He also described the judgment as a serious morale booster for the judiciary which he tagged as a “demoralised, forgotten and sidelined arm of government that has been deliberately neglected by both the executive and the legislature.”
On the propriety of the salaries proposed which are: N10m for the Chief Justice, with other Supreme Court Justices and the President of the Court of Appeal to get N9m, Justices of the Court of Appeal, N8m and high court judges , N7m monthly salary, in Nigeria’s present economic situation, Awomolo described the proposed salaries as modest.
According to him: “It is sad that the position of the judiciary and judicial officers is the least understood and appreciated even by media practitioners. Judges represent the finest of intellectual, learned and honourable men and women in any Nigerian society, who devote themselves by training and continuous education to administering justice and interpreting the constitution and law. They are not officers of the civil service, armed forces or legislature.”
He continued, “They represent the mind of the legislature in the interpretation of all laws and correct the errors of the executive arm of government when the need arises. They derive their powers and authority directly from the constitution and not from the convenience, whims, exigencies or caprices of the legislature or the executive arm of government. It is common knowledge that the legislators go home with at least over N20,000,000 monthly.
With due respect, the amount declared and awarded by the court is very modest and must be implemented.”
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