The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters has expressed concern over inadequate budgetary provisions for the Judicial arm of government in 2022’s appropriation.
In view of that, it proposed to increase the allocation by N10 billion for the 2022, given myriads of challenges the arm of government was passing through.
Chairman of the Committee, and Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele stayed this after he presented the Committee’s report to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday in Abuja.
He said, the Executive had made provision of N120 billion for the judiciary in the 2022 Budget which was considered as grossly inadequate.
Speaking with newsmen after his presentation before the Senator Jibrin Barau led Appropriation Committee, Senator Bamidele who disclosed that his Committee made a request for additional N10billion for the judiciary maintained that the budget estimate was inadequate, considering the enormous responsibilities before the judiciary.
“To begin with the Federal Government on its own in the 2022 budget proposal on its own had proposed and increased the budget by N10b for the judiciary. “Recall that the amount budgeted for the judiciary in the year 2021 budget was a sum of N110b.
So on their own Government had proposed additional N10b subject to the approval of the national assembly, that is why we are talking about N120b with the N10b increase by the Federal Government.
Senator Bamidele indicated apart from the challenge thrown up by terrorism, there is the need to deploy technology in the dispensation of Justice.
“As we speak there are people awaiting trial as a result of the various insecurity problems that we have in the country, whether you call them bandits whether you call them terrorists, whether you call them gunmen or women the truth about the matter is there is insecurity in the country.
“This has brought additional burden on the judiciary to the extent that our constitution still guarantee right to freedom of fair hearing for everyone who is alleged, once he is arrested apprehended and bought to court.”
He said all that underscored the need for more money to be made available for the judiciary.
“So we are convinced as a committee that there is a need to give more money to the judiciary. Second reason why we are convinced that judiciary deserve to have more money is the fact that COVID-19 opened the eyes of everybody to the need for every court to be placed in a position where there can be virtual heating.
“You must be ready to deploy technology, all manners of technology that will make it possible for lawyers to electronically file their cases, that will make it possible for lawyers to be able to engage in virtual hearing.
“To make it possible for court to be able to sit virtually. All of these require deployment of technology and they don’t come cheap.
“We are talking of all levels of courts, from the magistrate court to the State high court to the Federal High court, to the court of Appeal to the supreme Court.
“There are other specialised courts like industrial court and the Code of Conduct tribunal and others. So definitely there is need to give money to the judiciary to respond to the global best practice standard needs that are confronting them today.
“It is for all of these things that as a committee both chambers we are asking that the senate committee on appropriation should take it beyond the N120b by the Federal Government for the year 2022 to a sum of N130b.
“We have also added the list of the courts and other judicial bodies like the Judicial service commission, judicial justice committee of FCT and all the other relevant ones.”
Asked about the secrecy surrounding the budget of the judiciary, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters dismissed it as a non issue as he noted that it was not peculiar to the judiciary.
“It isn’t our responsibility to monitor their expenditure but it is important that whatever is allocated under the National Judicial Commission is judiciously used.
“The secrecy you talked about isn’t peculiar to the judiciary. No one is asking about the budget of the Department of State Serviced or National Intelligence Agency.
Their budget (judiciary) isn’t up to one percent of the entire budget. We may choose to sensationalise it, but public interest is better served if the budget of the judiciary is at least one percent of the entire budget. We need a well funded judiciary so that it’s independence isn’t compromised.”
