By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, (OON, SAN) has commiserated with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, (GCON), his brother Justices and staff of the Supreme Court over the fire incident which occurred at the Supreme Court complex on Monday.
According to the NBA President, the incident which was reported to have affected the chambers of some Justices, calls into question the integrity and safety of courts’ infrastructures in Nigeria.
Following the unfortunate fire incident, the NBA has therefore called for an investigation into the incident to forestall future recurrence.
Meanwhile, the NBA has demanded for the immediate appointment of additional Justices to achieve the full complement of 21 Justices of the Supreme Court, as prescribed by Section 230(1 )(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)
The NBA President Maikyau made the demand while giving his speech at the valedictory court session recently held in honour of retiring Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie, (CFR, JSC) at the Supreme Court Complex, Abuja.
The NBA President expressed concerns that the exit of Hon. Justice Augie from the Bench of the Supreme Court “has further reduced the number of Justices of this Court, with the attendant increase in the workload of the already overworked/ overburdened and, unfortunately, poorly remunerated justices.”
The NBA President noted that it has become imperative that the Nigerian Constitution be amended to increase the threshold for the number of justices to be appointed to the Supreme Court and to reduce the number of matters that get to the Supreme Court by limiting the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to certain constitutional matters.
Giving update about the NBA’s engagement with the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the remuneration of judicial officers, Mr Maikyau stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, (GCFR), has directed a presidential working group to harmonise the recommendations from RMAFC, NBA and NJC, with the view to include the outcome in the 2024 budget appropriation.
He added that the NBA has also proposed a new set of allowances in recognition of the peculiar demands of judicial office holders which include: Lifestyle Allowance, Dual Responsibility Allowance, Frequent Transfer Allowance and Long Service Allowance.
Mr. Maikyau further noted that the NBA has recommended the delinking of judicial remuneration from that of the civil service, in order to strengthen the perception of judicial independence and to provide the necessary safeguard and reassurance to judicial officers.
He described the retired Justice Amina Augie as an exemplary jurist “who deftly combines knowledge and integrity with the right demeanour and discipline characteristic of a judge; a thorough and disciplined jurist; counsel appearing before my lord from her days in the magistracy must be prepared to answer straight and probing questions.”
He remarked that “Justice Augie is an example of Nigerian women who are making important strides; breaking boundaries, challenging masculine domination of places of influence and authority and setting the stage for more women to rise to positions of authority within the judiciary and elsewhere.”
Hon. Justice Amina Augie was sworn in as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) on November 7, 2016. His lordship retired upon clocking the statutory retirement age of 70 on 3 September 3, 2023. Justice Augie retired having served on the bench from the magistracy to the Supreme Court bench in a judicial career spanning 35 years.
