The senate has passed a bill seeking to increase the salaries and allowances of judges at all levels.
The upper legislative chamber passed the bill for the third reading on Wednesday after Mohammed Monguno, chairman of the senate committee on judiciary, presented a report.
The legislation passed the second reading at the senate in May after President Bola Tinubu asked the national assembly to pass the bill.
The bill, if passed by the house of representatives, and signed by the president, will pave the way for the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) to earn N64 million annually.
The new salaries and allowances represent a 300 percent increase from the current earnings of the judicial officers.
The president of the court of appeal will be entitled to N62.4 million, and justices of the supreme court will earn N61.4 million.
All heads of the various courts, such as the chief judge of the federal high court, the president of the national industrial court, and the chief judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, among others, would earn the same basic salary of N7.9 million annually.
While presenting his report, Monguno said the increment of judges’ salaries and allowances was long overdue, noting that their pay packages have not been reviewed for years.
“Apart from the new salary and allowance scheme, the bill will also make provision for the retirement of judicial officers,” he said.
The senator representing Borno said the new pay packages would ensure justice and fairness in the country’s judicial processes.
Thereafter, the senate approved clauses of the bill in the “committee of the whole” and passed the legislation.
