The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in 2023, Adewole Adebayo, has asked the federal government to be fair to Nigeria workers by acceding to the demand in the same manner it intends to increase the wages of judges by 300 percent.
He added that Nigeria reflects a republic wherein the Three Arms Zoned all the welfare money to themselves.
The former presidential candidate noted that judges who have just been awarded 300% wage increases are asked to issue injunction against workers seeking minimum wage review.
Adebayo stated this in reaction to the Senate’s approval of a bill that grants a 300 percent salary increase for judicial officers at the federal and state levels.
The Red Chamber, on Wednesday, considered and adopted the executive bill transmitted by President Bola Tinubu, which prescribes improved salaries and allowances as well as other fringe benefits for judicial officers and workers.
The Executive bill forwarded by the President is titled “A Bill for an Act to Prescribe the Salaries, Allowances and Fringe Benefits of Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria and for Related Matters”.
The bill, if similarly passed by the House of Representatives, and assented to by the President will give the Chief Justice of Nigeria an annual salary of N64m.
The President of the Court of Appeal will be entitled to N62.4m, while Justices of the Supreme Court will earn the sum of N61.4m each.
All heads of the various courts, such as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court the President of the National Industrial Court, among others, would earn the same basic salary of N7.9 million annually.
Reacting on his X handle, Adebayo said, “What a new definition for justice in a country where judges who have just been awarded 300% wage increases are asked to issue injunction against workers seeking minimum wage reviews! A Republic where the Three Arms Zoned all the welfare money to themselves.
“Their Lordships deserve decent wages and dignity of judicial labour. I support the arguments in favour of paying judges better and granting wage increases. But every argument in favour of justices also works for workers. Not so hard to understand equality before the law. Be fair!” he said.