Raise magistrates, customary court presidents’ salaries, allowances, NBA begs Adeleke

The Nigeria Bar Association, Osogbo Branch, has appealed to the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to review upwardly the salaries and allowances of Magistrates and District Customary Court Presidents in the state.

The association also lamented the infrastructural decay in High Courts and Magistrate’s courts across the state, noting that most of the buildings housing the courts were old and almost dilapidated.

A letter by the body, addressed to Adeleke on October 3 containing the requests, was co-signed by the chairman and secretary of the association, Yemi Abiona and Ibrahim Hassan, respectively.

The NBA, in the letter obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, further noted that some neighbouring states to Osun had taken a giant stride to guarantee enviable conditions of service for their Magistrates having regard to the delicate nature of their job and particularly the need to insulate them from any kind of immoral or corrupt inducement and distraction.

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It subsequently asked the governor to provide official cars for the use of the magistrates and president of District Customary Courts, saying the lack of good vehicles tops the list of other necessities required to guarantee their welfare and optimal performance.

The letter further read, “Our concern as an Association of lawyers is borne out of the pride of place which the judiciary occupies in our noble profession and which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has entrusted on the judiciary.

“As a corollary to the foregoing, we humbly appeal to Your Excellency to review upwardly the remuneration (salary and allowances) of the Magistrates and District Customary Court Presidents.

“We appreciate the fact that the performance of the current Government of the State since assumption of office have been marvellous having regard to all other states of the Federation, we appeal to Your Excellency to lift our Magistrates from the murky water of economic quagmire occasion by the recent skyrocketing prices of goods and services in the country.”