The President has approved the review of the budget for the Judiciary in what has been described as ‘his commitment towards making the current Nigerian economy tenable for the Judiciary’.
Tinubu said, “Funding the Judiciary is a major element in our effort to support a just, rules-based society. Statutory transfer to the Judiciary has been increased from 165 billion naira to 342 billion naira”, which is about double what it was initially. This was made known by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale.
According to Ajuri, TInubu signed the National Budget, which includes that of the Judiciary, on Monday, 1st of January 2024, in the Statehouse in Abuja. This was done with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Minister of Finance and the Economy Wale Edun as witnesses.
Recall that the same Judiciary got N35 billion palliative during the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal a few months ago. An unexplained largesse from the President with no relationship with their stipulated budget during the most controversial election petition in Nigerian history since 1999.
This open love affair between the executive and the judiciary may be good for individual pockets but would not bode well for the separation of powers and independence of arms of government, both of which are integral parts of a working democracy.
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