Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom’s call on the National Judicial Council, NJC to take over the payment of retirement benefits of Justices of State High Courts is apt and justified.
Governor Ortom who made the call at the valedictory court session in honour of the late former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, left no one in doubt regarding the efforts his administration has made to address the needs of the judiciary.
Governor Ortom is on record as one of the few Governors in this country who have come out to strongly advocate for financial independence of the judiciary and the legislature, so his recommendation that NJC should take responsibility of paying retired judges their entitlements cannot be misconstrued to imply that he is abdicating his responsibility.
His contention is that the payment of such emoluments should be taken care of right from the point of the Federation Account Committee meetings.
Governor Ortom’s logical and well thought out argument is that since the NJC pays the salaries of the justices, it should also relieve states of the burden of paying their retirement benefits as well as pensions.
It is only someone whose mind is already skewed against the Governor that will view the Governor’s genuine call as inappropriate. Is it not a global norm that when you take over a company, you inherit its assets and liabilities?
Financial autonomy does not come in isolation. It defies logic for anyone to support the payment of salaries of judges by NJC while expecting states to continue bearing the yoke of pensions and gratuity.
Agber Chancha writes from Gboko, Benue State.
0 Comments