President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday assured the judiciary that their budget is intact, stressing that the provision of housing and other infrastructure projects would not in anyway affect it.
Tinubu described the provision of housing and other infrastructure projects to judicial officers as an intervention project not meant to influence them negatively.
The president, who spoke during the inauguration of 20 Quarters for the FCT High Court Judges in Katampe to mark his third year in office, was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
According to Tinubu: “I’m aware of medical commentaries from certain quarters suggesting that the FCT Administration’s provision of Judges Quarters is intended to exert improper influence on the judiciary. I asked simply, did those same critics level that charge against the 10 staff quarters recently commissioned for lecturers of the Nigerian Law School with more still promised?
“If every act of infrastructural provision is to be read as a corrupting influence, then even decent housing for our law lecturers will fall under this suspicion that can’t be a fair standard. Often times, I say that this is an intervention project and has nothing to do with the project or budget judiciary which s intact and ongoing and respected.
“I would non-the-less be candid such interventions do exact influence, I agree but the kind of influence this facilities are meant to inspire, commitment, free our judicial officers to focus on their solemn duties, preserve the rule of law, enable them to adjudicate without discomfort and provide the fulfilment and security that allows them to give their very best to the nation, that is the kind of influence that these projects are meant to exact.
“This project sends a clear message and signals that this government is committed to the comfort, security, and protection of our judicial officers and to safeguarding the independence of the judiciary as a whole.”
The president noted that judges cannot dispense justice under an atmosphere that is not secured.
“Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, we often speak of judicial independent in abstract terms but independent thinking requires an independent and secure environment, we cannot expect judges to dispense justice without fear or favour with their basic comfort of security and peace of mind are left to chance,” he added.
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