The National Assembly, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as well as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has been directed by a National Industrial Court in Abuja to immediately implement measures to increase salaries and allowances of judges in the country.
Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae gave the directive on Friday while delivering the judgment a suit marked: NICABJ/142/2022 filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Sebastine.
In her judgement, Justice Obaseki-Osaghae described the stagnation of the salaries and allowances of the nation’s judges since 2008 when they were last increased as not only embarrassing but an injustice deliberately done to judicial officers, who toil daily to ensure justice.
Furthermore, the judge ordered that her judgment be promptly served on the RMAFC for immediate action.
She ordered that the highest judicial officer, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) should earn N10million monthly.
Other Justices of the Supreme Court and the President of the Court of Appeal should earn N9milion monthly while other Justices of the Court of Appeal and Chief Judges of the High Courts of States and Federal Capital Territory, President of the National Industrial Court, Grand Kadis of Sharia Courts of Appeal and President of Customary Courts are to earn N8m monthly, she added.
The judge further ordered that other judges of the Federal High Court, High Court of States, National Industrial Court, High Court of the FCT, Sharia Courts of Appeal, and Customary Court of Appeal are to earn N7m monthly.
Justice Obaseki-Osaghae, who frowned at the disposition of the National Assembly, RMAFC and the AGF to the case, awarded N500,000 cost against each of them, to be paid to the claimant.