Buhari Flays Poor Judges’ Working Condition

*Promises to act quickly on review of welfare of judicial arm

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has flayed the present working condition of judges in the country, saying the degenerate welfare and working conditions of the nation’s judiciary were serious and would be treated as such.

This is just as he cautioned on the dire state of the country’s economy “currently battling insecurity, corruption and economic challenges,” aggravated by the COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.

Speaking yesterday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving in audience the chairman and representatives of the Body of Benchers, a body of legal practitioners of, “the highest distinction in the legal profession” Buhari stressed that a democratic government like the one he leads, “standing on a tripod comprising the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, cannot stand where one of its three pillars, the judiciary, is not properly nurtured, maintained and sustained to deliver on its very pivotal constitutional duties.”

The president therefore promised to act quickly on the report of the committee he set up back in 2018 to review the welfare and working conditions of the judiciary.

He said: “Let me assure you that the issues would be given due and urgent attention within the resources available to government.”
Buhari congratulated the Body of Benchers on the successful completion of the, “Benchers’ complex at Jabi,” a building described as impressive that would house the body and provide conference facilities and accepted their invitation to personally commission the structure.

Earlier in his presentation, the chairman of the Body of Benchers, Wole Olanipekun, described the condition under which judges, especially the Justices of the Supreme Court work as pathetic, appalling and below the minimum standards that are required:  

“We want to plead with you.  We need to bail out the Judiciary.  The situation is bad.  Let us sympathise with the Judiciary.  I know you to have respect, feelings for the Judiciary.  You have sympathy, empathy and consideration.  The Body of Benchers as elders of the legal profession makes these recommendations to Your Excellency, with a plea that they should be attended to urgently.”

Also in his introductory remarks, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made a case for collaboration of the Executive and the Judicial arms, to “open the books to enable both sides see the depth of the decay and know how far to go in putting in place the necessary remedial measures.”