By Damilare Adeleye
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially asked for the approval of House of Representatives for the newly proposed salaries and allowances for judicial officers across the country.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who read the President’s letter, explained that the proposed bill seeks to prescribe salaries and allowances as well as other fringe benefits for judicial officers.
The executive bill forwarded by the President is titled: ‘A Bill for an Act to prescribe the salaries, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in Nigeria and for related matters.’
The letter partly reads: TRANSMISSION OF THE JUDICIAL OFFICE HOLDERS (SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES, ETC) BILL, 2024
“In accordance with the provisions of Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended), I forward, herewith, the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives.
“The Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 seeks to prescribe salaries, allowances and fringe benefits for Judicial Officers, to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio- economic realities.
“The Bill, which establishes a new legal framework for the remuneration of Judicial Officers, will also ensure significant improvement in the welfare, capacity and independence of the Judiciary.
“Whilst I hope that the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 will be carefully yet expeditiously considered and passed by the House of Representatives, please accept, Rt. Hon. Speaker, the assurances of my highest esteem.”