A bill for an act to upwardly review salaries, allowances and other fringe benefits of those working in the Nigerian judiciary has passed a second reading in the upper legislative chamber on Thursday.
The executive bill, sponsored by the Majority Leader of the Senate, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi, scaled second reading after he highlighted the general principles, saying it would boost the morale of judicial officers and curb corruption if eventually passed.
In his contribution, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau praised President Bola Tinubu for forwarding a bill that has to do with the welfare of judicial officers.
Barau sympathised with judicial officers who, despite enormous challenges, cannot complain or protest the inadequacy of wages because of the conservative nature of their job, explaining that the bill will take care of their wages in a manner that would boost their morale on the job.
He said: “Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, this bill is very important, and I want to commend President Bola Tinubu for bringing this bill as an executive bill. Judicial officers are not like other workers who protest for their demands because of the nature of their work.”
In his remark, Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio passed the bill and referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters to turn its report to the Committee of the whole in four weeks.