The National Industrial Court, Abuja has ordered the federal government to commence the upward review of judge’s salaries.
Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, gave the verdict on Friday in an application filed by a number of Senior Advocates represented by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.
The claimant had argued that it was a disservice to the judiciary for the Chief Justice of Nigeria to be earning 3.4 million naira per annum for the past 14 years, while other judges were earning below that financial benchmark.
They had on June 28, prayed the court to order upward review of CJN’s pay to N12m monthly for the Supreme Court Justices and between N7m to 10m monthly for respective lower court judges.
But the National Assembly’s counsel, Charles Yoila, had insisted that the suit as presently constituted against the lawmakers should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction of the court.
The NASS argued that it should not have been dragged into the suit.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had also suggested in court that judicial officers are employees of the government who have no right to demand an upward review of salaries.
But on Friday, Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, agreed with the claimant that it was unconstitutional for the executive and legislative not to effect a change in the salaries of judges for the past 14 years despite the high inflation.
She thereby ordered that the CJN be paid N10m monthly, while his brother supreme court justices will have N9m monthly.
The President of the Court of Appeal, justices of the appellate court, Chief Judges of the Federal and States High Courts and judges of the Federal and States High Courts will get N9m, N8m, N8m and N7m monthly.
[The Whistler].
