The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, emphasized the need for increased funding to enhance the Ministry’s performance in 2024.
This appeal was made during a Monday session in Abuja, where he assessed the 2023 budget performance and presented the 2024 budget to the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
In the 2023 budget, the Ministry received allocations of N3.3 billion for capital expenditure and N4.6 billion for recurrent expenditure.
However, as of less than 30 days before the end of the year, only N617 million had been released for capital expenditure, with N2.734 billion allocated for recurrent expenditure.
This, he said had greatly affected the performance of the Ministry.
He said the ministry was determined to achieve a paradigm shift in 2024, saying that it allocated N5.3 billion for capital expenditure and N8.8 billion for recurrent expenditure in the 2024 budget.
The minister urged the committee to support the Ministry, as it was fundamental in driving the current administration’s roadmap for the justice sector.
Fagbemi said legal and judicial reforms were vital priority areas under the President’s eight-point agenda.
“In order to ensure the security and confidence of the judicial officers coupled with the location of the trial, the Ministry is required to charter aircraft to airlift them.
”The Ministry is also spending considerable resources on provision or upgrading of infrastructural facilities at the various venues to make them fit for purpose,” he said.
