Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Magaji Mato, has called for the full financial independence of the judiciary, insisting that judges’ welfare should be funded and managed exclusively by the judicial arm rather than the executive.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Mato argued that the Constitution already provides the framework for an independent judiciary and that its financial autonomy must be fully implemented to shield judges from executive influence.
He said, “The constitution has made the judiciary an independent body. It’s not subject or answerable to the executive.”
Mato maintained that if judges’ welfare is considered a priority, funding should be channelled directly to the judiciary instead of allowing the executive to determine how such benefits are provided.
He said, “So if for any reason, welfare of judges is paramount to the executive or to Nigerians, then I expect that all funds geared towards the welfare of judges and justices in Nigeria should be allocated or appropriated to the judiciary.”
According to him, the heads of the courts are best placed to determine the needs of judicial officers and should independently oversee welfare projects, including housing.
“If these monies were appropriated to them, they can contract the building of such houses independently without any form of influence, without any form of seduction,” he said.
Mato further argued that true judicial independence goes beyond constitutional recognition and must be backed by financial autonomy.
“What I suggest is what exactly the constitution has envisaged, that you make them as independent as the constitution has made them and do not in any way use material things or monies to subjugate them to the whims and caprices of the executive,” he said.
He also lamented what he described as inadequate funding for the judiciary, saying the institution lacks the resources required to meet its welfare needs and modernise its operations.
“The judiciary has no money to even sustain their basic welfare. The judiciary has no money to even acquire modern facilities that they run their work and their adjudicatory activities well. And the executive is lavishing monies and building houses for anybody they feel they choose to do,” Mato said.
He stressed that financial independence remains the solution to protecting the judiciary from executive interference.
“It’s not a very difficult situation. The law is there. The constitution has laid down the principle. It has made the judiciary an independent body. Make them not only independent on the paper or on the face of the statute, make them financially independent. And that will be the solution.”
Mato concluded that once the judiciary receives the resources due to it, it should be allowed to determine how best to utilise them without executive involvement.
“Once they have the money, they know what to do with the money. The executive is no more enlightened or does not know more form of luxury than the judiciary. The judiciary are also Nigerians. So give them whatever is due to them and let them decide what to do with it.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on: