NewStats: 3,262,725 , 8,177,963 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 11:26 AM 712367

Socio-Economic Rights and ability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja “to order the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to perform their statutory functions to review downward the remuneration and allowances of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, 36 governors and of the National Assembly.”

SERAP is arguing that “slashing jumbo pay for these high-ranking political office-holders would reduce the unfair pay disparity between political officer holders and judicial officers, address the persistent poor treatment of judges, and improve access of victims of corruption to justice and effective remedies.”

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/658/2021 filed last Friday, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the RMAFC to send its downward review of the remuneration and allowances of these high-ranking public office holders and recommendations to the National Assembly for appropriate remedial and legislative action, as provided for by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”

SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the RMAFC to perform its mandatory constitutional duty to urgently review upward the remuneration, salaries and allowances, as well as the conditions of service for Nigerian judges.”

ed in the suit as Respondents are Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, for themselves, and on behalf of all of the Senate and House of Representative; and the National Judicial Council.

SERAP is arguing that: “While high-ranking political office-holders continue to enjoy lavish allowances, including life pensions, and access to security votes, which they have powers to spend as they wish, the remuneration and allowances of judges are grossly insufficient to enable them to maintain themselves and their families in reasonable comfort.”

According to SERAP: “The huge pay disparity between these high-ranking political officer-holders and judges is unfair, unjust and discriminatory, especially given the roles of judges to the people and the country.”

SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel NSIWC to perform its mandatory legal duty to urgently examine, streamline and recommend upward remuneration and allowances of Nigerian judges, and to recommend downward review of allowances of President Buhari, Vice-President Osinbajo, 36 governors and lawmakers to the National Assembly.”

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “the remuneration and allowances of judges have fallen substantially behind the average salaries and allowances of high-ranking political office-holders such as President, Vice-President, governors and lawmakers.”

“While government reviewed upward the salaries and allowances of political office holders on four occasions between May 1999 and March 2011, the salaries and allowances of judicial officers were only reviewed twice during the same period.”

“The review of the remuneration, allowances, and conditions of service for political, public and judicial office holders carried out by the RMAFC in 2009 shows huge disparity between the remuneration and allowances of judges and those of high-ranking political office-holders.”

“The NSIWC in a letter to SERAP itted that it has powers to examine, streamline and recommend the salary scales applicable to each post in the public service but informed us to redirect our request to the RMAFC.”

“There is a legal duty upon the RMAFC to urgently review downward the remuneration and allowances of high-ranking political office-holders.”

The rather unfair treatment of of the judiciary – being one of the three coordinate branches of the government – is akin to contempt. It can be reasonably inferred that the judiciary are considered so unimportant by the political class, hence the refusal to pay them reasonable remuneration and allowances.”

“Judges should get all to which they are reasonably entitled, and it is unfair, illegal, unconstitutional, and discriminatory to continue to treat judges as second-class people while high-ranking political office-holders continue to enjoy lavish salaries and allowances.”

“Despite their important roles and responsibilities, Nigerian judges are poorly treated, particularly when their remuneration, salaries, allowances, and conditions of service are compared with that of political office-holders. Judges should not have to endure the most poignant financial worries.”

“The increase in the cost of living and the injustice of inadequate salaries bears heavily on judges, as it undermines their ability to effectively perform their judicial functions.”

“The roles and functions performed by judges across the country are second to none in their importance, including in facilitating access of victims of corruption and human rights violations to justice and effective remedies.”

“As a safeguard of judicial independence, the budget of the judiciary ought to be prepared in collaboration with the judiciary having regard to the peculiar needs and requirements of judicial istration.”

“The remuneration and pensions of judges must be secured by law at an adequate level that is consistent with their status and is sufficient to safeguard against conflict of interest and corruption.”

“Nigerians would continue to bear the brunt of denied access to justice, a better judiciary and a better istration of justice until judges across the country are paid what they rightly deserve.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

https://serap-nigeria.org/2021/07/11/serap-asks-court-to-slash-jumbo-allowances-for-buhari-govs-nass-/

This may be effective only for NASS because, truth be told, their allowances are actually outrageous.

But for president and govs, you are joking. Presidents and govs don't even know the meaning of salaries and allowances.

They simply dip hands into the pot and pack as they want. Do they even know their salaries and allowances? I can bet they can't because that is not even their problem. A gov will rather remain in office for 20 years without salary, and will be much richer when he leaves.

On the final note, ipob pigs are brain dead animals.

Long overdue

The nation is already bankrupt!

[img]https://media1./images/50d089a0f9900949b83152346f77ee00/tenor.gif?itemid=21204532[/img]

Not these people they mentioned.. Cause they are all above the law..

Ordinary Lasman oga for Lagos say him no go obey court order.. Na this one's?

SERAP should just SHETAP!!

Those legitimate allowances and salaries are nothing compared to what they make through the back doors.

It's a good way to start anyway.

Nonsense and stupid government.

today Is world messi day.,countless of threads are opened on sports section and am still waiting for when d mods would start pushing them to front page..if na cr7 win cup, we would av already seen the countless threads flooding f.p since morning...mk una continue

It would have been good. But the judiciary system answers to the executive so I don't see this happening under this regime.

Indeed. The matter died on arrival.

Serap should stop dreaming, they prefer to die than slash their fat allowances.

Waste of Time

Laughable

The dullardhino in Aso rock and the rubber stamp senate president will never agree to this....

Abeg since when SERAP don de drag buhari go court, how many case them don win? and did Buhari actually obey the court order?

SERAP be paper tiger

NwaNimo1:
The nation is already bankrupt!

[img]https://media1./images/50d089a0f9900949b83152346f77ee00/tenor.gif?itemid=21204532[/img]

We don't print $

Good

This can only happen when there is a military coup, it can never happen in democracy because you still need the approval of the useless senate for their salary and allowances to be slashed.

FYI I blame Obasanjo for it, he needed the approval of his third term bid so he bribed the senate with outrageous amounts

Noise as usual.

Good development.

It will be a welcome thing.

Let's see how it plays

This useless SERAP is becoming nuisances. I don't know what is wrong with them

They will come together to fight this no PDP and APC

Dead on arrival.
From the first day that Buhari disobeyed court order and got away with it was the day he proved that he was above the law.
So serap shouldn't waste their tym.

They don’t ever want to hear you talk abt their allowances . SERAP make una just rest una dey try

FG is still more transparent than SERAP!

SERAP should sharap!

These SERAP guys are always asking, wanting and demanding. A very useless NGO that has accomplished nothing other than to dish out empty threats. A useless group without a face.

I have nothing to say other than SERAP is fighting for one from the same cloth. When I opened this thread, I had thought it was for equitable distribution of wealth amongst Nigerians only to see it is fatter pockets for judges they want. Sadly, these judges are one of the same; they are all anti masses!

Soooooo... E no concern me. Until the day judges start attending to cases in record time instead of adjourning a case for donkey years and remanding folks in prison for such length of time awaiting trials, then they are all the same!

[b]