Federal High Court gets N13.9bn of judiciary’s N100bn budget

* Former CJNs get N1.3bn retirement
benefits

The Federal High Courts across the country will take a lion
share of the total sum of N100 billion budgeted for the Judiciary
in the 2018 fiscal year, with allocation of N13.918 billion.

The amount is about N4 billion above the total sum earmarked for
the Supreme Court just as N1.3 billion of the budget is also
projected for retirement benefits of former Chief Justices of
Nigeria (CJN).

Secretary of National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Gambo Saleh
and Registrars of the different categories of courts made the
disclosure yesterday during their 2018 budget defence session
before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters.

Closely following the Federal High Courts in the 2018 budget
estimates for the judiciary is the Court of Appeal with N13.277
billion and Abuja High Court with estimated total sum of NN10.231
billion. Others are National Industrial Court N9.322 billion,
National Judicial Council N5.701 billion, Customary Court of Appeal
N4.065billion, Sharia Court of Appeal N2.771billion, Federal
Judicial Service Commission N3.098 billion, Body of Benchers N3
billion.

The NJC scribe noted that the budget estimates also included
N11.3 billion allocated for state judicial officers consolidated
salaries and overhead costs in addition to N4.1 billion voted for
pension and gratuity of retired Federal Judicial officers. He
stated that as a way of strengthening the war against corruption in
the judiciary, a proposal of N581.3 million was also captured in
the budget estimates for initial take off and allowances of
anticorruption committee members.

The Senate committee headed by Senator David Umar (APC, Niger
East), however observed infractions in the N9.331 million budget
estimates of the Supreme Court as regards creation of
anticorruption court.

The Committee Chairman and other members said such exercise was
not known by the existing laws in the land, the consequences of
which would make the N100 million budgeted for that purpose to be
moved to other items.

* Former CJNs get N1.3bn retirement
benefits

The Federal High Courts across the country will take a lion
share of the total sum of N100 billion budgeted for the Judiciary
in the 2018 fiscal year, with allocation of N13.918 billion.

The amount is about N4 billion above the total sum earmarked for
the Supreme Court just as N1.3 billion of the budget is also
projected for retirement benefits of former Chief Justices of
Nigeria (CJN).

Secretary of National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Gambo Saleh
and Registrars of the different categories of courts made the
disclosure yesterday during their 2018 budget defence session
before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters.

Closely following the Federal High Courts in the 2018 budget
estimates for the judiciary is the Court of Appeal with N13.277
billion and Abuja High Court with estimated total sum of NN10.231
billion. Others are National Industrial Court N9.322 billion,
National Judicial Council N5.701 billion, Customary Court of Appeal
N4.065billion, Sharia Court of Appeal N2.771billion, Federal
Judicial Service Commission N3.098 billion, Body of Benchers N3
billion.

The NJC scribe noted that the budget estimates also included
N11.3 billion allocated for state judicial officers consolidated
salaries and overhead costs in addition to N4.1 billion voted for
pension and gratuity of retired Federal Judicial officers. He
stated that as a way of strengthening the war against corruption in
the judiciary, a proposal of N581.3 million was also captured in
the budget estimates for initial take off and allowances of
anticorruption committee members.

The Senate committee headed by Senator David Umar (APC, Niger
East), however observed infractions in the N9.331 million budget
estimates of the Supreme Court as regards creation of
anticorruption court.

The Committee Chairman and other members said such exercise was
not known by the existing laws in the land, the consequences of
which would make the N100 million budgeted for that purpose to be
moved to other items.