The House of Representatives has passed a bill for an Act for upward review of the salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in the country, with a total monthly package of N5.39m for the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In the executive bill submitted to the Green Chamber on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu, other justices of the Supreme Court are to earn a total package of N4.21m, while the President of the Court of Appeal is to earn a total monthly package of N4.48m.
The bill seeks to amend Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act, No. 6, 2002 (as amended) by deleting Section 2(b), Part II of the Schedule to the Act, and any other provisions relating to judicial office holders.
Tinubu had on Tuesday transmitted a letter to the National Assembly praying it to pass a bill seeking to provide new salaries and allowances for judicial officers across the country.
The President’s letter titled, “Transmission of the judicial office holders salaries and allowances etc bill 2024” and dated March 19, 2024, read, “In accordance with the provisions of Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended), I forward, herewith, the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives.
“The Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc) Bill, 2024 seeks to prescribe salaries, allowances and fringe benefits for Judicial Officers, to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.”
When signed into law, the legislation will take effect from January 1, 2024.
A breakdown of the bill showed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria is entitled to N13.46m annual basic salary or N1.12m monthly basic salary.
The CJN, by the provisions of the bill, is also entitled to N51.16m annual regular allowances or N4.26m monthly regular allowances, bringing the total earnings for the nation’s number one law officer to N5.39m per month.
The CJN is also entitled to non-regular allowances of N6.73m Leave Allowance (when applicable), N142,500 Duty Tour Allowance (per night); $2,000 estacode (per night), N80,78m severance gratuity (after successful completion of tenure) and N53.85m as motor vehicle loan (to be repaid before expiration of tenure), while Professional Development Assistant is to be paid from the NJC pool.
Other justices of the Supreme Court are to earn N9. 91m annual basic salary or N826,116.19 monthly salary.
The justices of the apex court are each entitled to N50. 56m annual regular allowances or N4.21m monthly regular allowances.
The bill also showed that each of them is also entitled to non-regular allowances of N9.91m rent (annually), N4,96m Leave Allowance (when applicable), N100,000 Duty Tour Allowance (per night); $1,300 estacode (per night); N29.74m severance gratuity (after successful completion of tenure), N29.74m furniture allowance and N39.65m as motor vehicle loan (to be repaid before expiration of tenure), while Professional Development Assistant is to be paid from the NJC pool.
Utilities and security are to be provided via tax-deferred payments.
