National Judicial Council, NJC has said that high cost of living in Nigeria marked by ever rising prices of goods and services, galloping inflation will affect the administration of Justices in the country. Speaking in Abuja when he appeared before the Senator Opeyemi Bamidele led Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for the overview of 2021 budget and to defend 2022 budget proposal, the Executive Secretary of NJC, Ahmed Saleh said that the Judiciary has been able to achieve about 70 per cent of its budget implementation. According to the NJC Executive Secretary, “The statutory transfer for the year 2022 will be N120 billion, we are aware that this possible because of your sustained campaign for the funding of Judiciary. I am glad to report to this committee that out of N110 billion appropriated to us , we are able to implement of 70 percent of our budget.
“Permit me at this point to make some observations regarding the prevailing economic situation in the country . At at year 2020 December the exchange rate of Naira was N380 to $1 and the rate was N480 to $1 at parallel market. So, giving this indices and galloping inflation that the country witness, particularly some of our budgetary provision that are foreign components, by the implication affect our performances. Inflation was projected to be 11.95 percent but as at now 17.0 percent definitely all our projects in good and services were affected .” Speaking earlier, the Senator Bamidele assured the leadership of Judiciary of cooperation of the Committee its readiness to interact with the leadership of National Assembly to ensure that adequate funding of Judicial sector .
Senator Bamidele said, “I wish to state at this juncture that the 2022 Statutory Transfer to the Judiciary is in the sum of One Hundred and Twenty Billion Naira (N120,000,000,000) only, representing an increase, which is in the sum of Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000.000) only, over the sum, which was appropriated in the 2021 Appropriation Act. “However, in spite of this increase, there is need to advocate for more funds for the Judiciary, in order to meet competing needs and to address the challenges of infrastructure and welfare of Judicial Officers/Staff of the Judiciary. In this regard, the Committee will continue to interact with the leadership of the National Assembly and all the relevant stakeholders to solicit for more funds for the Judiciary. This is one of the ways we can strengthen the justice delivery system and administration of justice in the country, to meet the ever-increasing demands for justice by Nigerians.
