Former CJNs to get N1.3bn retirement benefit in 2018

Former chief justices of Nigeria (CJNs) will get N1.3 billion as retirement benefit in 2018.

Ahmed Saleh, secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC), disclosed this on Tuesday when he appeared before the senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters, for budget defence.

He said the allocation is about N325 billion higher than the N975million budgeted for retired CJNs in 2017.

Saleh also said retired federal judicial officers will get N4.1 billion as their pension and gratuity in 2018, lesser than the N5.2 billion allocated for the same purpose in 2017.

He added that out of the N100 billion budgeted for the judiciary in 2018, the federal high courts in the various states will get the highest allocation of N13.9 billion.

Closely followed is the court of appeal with a budget of N13.2 billion and the Abuja high court with an allocation of N10.2 billion.

The supreme court will get an allocation of N9.3 billion; while N9.3 billion has been budgeted for the National Industrial Court; N2.7 billion for sharia court of appeal,N4 billion for customary court of appeal, FCT; and N5.7 billion for NJC.

Others are federal judicial service commission with an allocation of N3 billion, and body of benchers which will get N3 billion.

He added that N581.3 million was also proposed in the budget for initial take off and allowances of anti-corruption committee members.