The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has assured Nigerians that the ongoing reform measures in the nation’s will bring confidence in the judiciary arm of government,
This was just as a former Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Danladi Halilu called for the inclusion of lower courts in the country in the ongoing reforms agenda for meaningful success in the entire justice delivery sector.
Onnoghen and Halilu spoke in Abuja during a retirement valedictory session organized for him (Halilu) and other retired staff of the Council.
The CJN said, “The event is designed to honour retired staff of the NJC. To give them hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I hereby commend them for making positive perception of judiciary.
“In no distant time, Nigeria will come to appreciate the role of the NJC. The nation’s judiciary will soon be better with all the ongoing reforms that are have been put in place.
“The Judiciary and all the agencies under it should adhere strictly to the code of conduct, as the judiciary under my watch will not condole any act of deviance”, he stated.
In his own remarks, the former NJC scribe said there is need for lower courts to turn in their returns of cases to their various State Judicial Service Commissions and the Judicial Service Committee of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also noted that the dignity and stability of Government in all branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society, depend upon an upright and skillful administration of justice, adding that, “The report on the returns of cases in respect of superior courts of record at the level of NJC has been very helpful to administration of justice.
“This will guarantee the security of officers, in particular of the state Judicial officers who in some states are hardly paid their gratuities and or pension after retirement from office.
“It is against this background, that I acknowledge and applaud President Muhammadu Buhari administration for increasing the funding of the Federal Judiciary in 2017 appropriation.
“This unprecedented allocation to the Judiciary by the Federal Government, among others, made it possible for NJC to pay the reviewed and harmonized pensions of retired Federal Judicial Officers, including the backlog of their arrears”, he said.