Magistrates and judicial workers in Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa states have raised concerns over poor welfare conditions, warning that the situation is undermining effective justice delivery at the grassroots.
Muneer Sagir, chairman of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria in Jigawa, said the welfare of magistrates had remained stagnant for over 20 years, calling for urgent intervention to improve the welfare of judicial officers.
“The general welfare is poor because a magistrate’s salary barely takes him to the end of the month,” Muneer said.
“Apart from the salary, we have a N10,000 fuel allowance monthly. It has been static in the last 20 years.
“Initially, we received wardrobe and furniture allowances, but the immediate past administration decided to divide them into 12 and add them to our monthly salary.
“Unlike high court judges who travel abroad and get new cars every four years, magistrates don’t enjoy these privileges.”
Muneer also called for the rehabilitation of magistrates’ quarters and courtrooms to improve the administration of justice in the state.
His remarks come amid growing calls for improved welfare packages, better working conditions and financial autonomy for the judiciary.
In Bauchi, Idris Aminu, a legal practitioner, said improved remuneration for magistrates was necessary given their workload and the security risks associated with their duties.
Aminu noted that while high court judges earned salaries commensurate with the demands of their offices, magistrates were underpaid despite handling a high volume of cases at the grassroots.
“Magistrates are under the payroll of state governments, while high court judges receive their salaries from the federal government,” he said.
“Providing official vehicles for magistrates would ease transportation challenges, enhance their safety and enable them to focus more on their duties.
“It is uncomfortable and risky for magistrates to use public transport and unknowingly meet litigants in the same vehicle.”
In Gombe, Bello Salisu, chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state, said although the federal government had approved a 300 percent salary increase for high court judges, magistrates and judicial workers had not benefited from similar adjustments beyond the national minimum wage.
Salisu said the state government was yet to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary, despite repeated demands by the union.
“The government asked the union to submit a salary review proposal, which has already been developed using benchmarks from other states and was submitted two weeks ago,” he said.
Salisu added that while high court judges had been provided with official vehicles and housing, the welfare and transportation needs of magistrates continued to receive little attention.
He urged the state government to approve a 100 percent salary increase for magistrates, citing their heavy workload and central role in the justice system.
However, Alhassan Mu’azu, chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gombe state branch, said the issue of welfare for judges and magistrates is a “work in progress”.
He said the association is engaging the state government towards ensuring improved welfare of the Magistrates and judicial staff.
