The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN, held a closed-door meeting with Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio on Thursday to discuss the urgent need for the National Assembly to transmit the recently passed Judicial Remuneration Bill to President Bola Tinubu for his assent.

The meeting, which took place at the Senate President’s office, was attended by Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Committee on Judicial Remuneration and Conditions of Service and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State; Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, Chairperson of the 2024 Annual General Conference Planning Committee; and Amina Kaoje Suleiman, Alternate Chairperson of the Conference Planning Committee.

The Judicial Remuneration Bill aims to improve the salaries and allowances of judicial officers across all courts in Nigeria. The NBA leadership under the Presidency of YC Maikyau SAN has prioritized the welfare of judicial officers since its inception, as judicial remuneration has not been reviewed in over a decade, leading to frequent calls by justice sector stakeholders for urgent intervention.

According to sources in the Senate President’s office, Senator Akpabio assured the NBA delegation of the Senate’s commitment to expeditiously transmit the Judicial Remuneration Bill to the Presidency. The Senate President acknowledged the judiciary’s importance to Nigeria’s democracy and underscored the need for its financial independence.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included the upcoming 64th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association and the need for lawyers in the National Assembly to participate actively.