NJC Criticizes State Governments for Failing to Pay Judges’ Gratuities

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, a judge on Nigeria’s Supreme Court, serves as the NJC’s chairman.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) criticized state governments on Thursday for failing to pay retirement benefits, such as pensions and severance pay or gratuities.

The NJC said that the “worrisome” actions of the state governments went against Section 6 of Nigeria’s Constitution from 1999.

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This was announced by the NJC at its 100th meeting on January 19, 2023, which was presided over by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola of the Nigerian Supreme Court.

The NJC’s director of information, Soji Oye, said that after a careful look, the council “condemns in the strongest terms this behavior, which is undermining the Rule of Law and Section 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.”

It thus urges the accused states to make sure that all retiring judges’ entitlements are immediately settled in full.

The Council further instructed state chief judges to provide reports on compliance, which were to be received by the Council by April 1, 2023.