By NAN Reporters
Lawyers and some judiciary stakeholders have expressed concern over the conditions of magistrates in the country saying that no magistrate in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States earn above N250,000 as monthly salary.
The stakeholders made the observations separately while responding to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Survey on the “Welfare of Magistrates in the country”.
They also decried the working conditions of the magistrates including inadequate infrastructure and manpower in Magistrate’s Courts saying that the situation hampered effective justice delivery in the zone.
In Anambra, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Awka Branch, Mr Ken Nwanna, said the shortage of court halls and magistrates was creating serious operational challenges, particularly in Awka.
Nwanna noted that only four magistrates currently sit in Awka, a number, he said, was insufficient to handle the volume of cases in the jurisdiction.
According to him, the magistrates are compelled to share limited court halls, resulting in rotational sittings and disruptions in court proceedings.
He explained that the situation was affecting justice delivery, adding that other challenges included inadequate electricity supply, shortage of law books and poor furniture.
Nwanna also expressed concern over the lack of official vehicles for magistrates, noting that it had been a long time since such support was provided.
He stressed that increasing the number of court halls would enable the appointment of more magistrates and reduce workload pressures.
The former NBA chairman recalled that sustained advocacy had led to the ongoing renovation of High Courts in the state and urged the government to extend similar efforts to Magistrates’ Courts.
He called on the government to prioritise the construction and renovation of Magistrates’ Courts to improve working conditions and enhance justice administration.
Also speaking, Mr Kingsley Agbaenyi, Chairman of the Young Lawyers Forum, NBA Awka Branch, described the working conditions in Magistrates’ Courts as poor, citing dilapidated structures and inadequate facilities.
Agbaenyi told NAN that many court buildings were outdated and uncomfortable for magistrates, lawyers and the public.
He said lawyers often had to procure basic materials such as files and seek external services for photocopying and printing due to lack of equipment in the courts.
According to him, many courts lack basic amenities including microphones, fans and air-conditioning systems.
Agbaenyi urged the state government to prioritise judicial funding to address the challenges.
He commended the government for ongoing renovation works in some High Courts and appealed for similar interventions in Magistrates’ Courts.
Agbaenyi also encouraged private individuals and corporate organisations to partner with government to improve infrastructure within the judiciary.
In his views, Mr Stanley Okafor, Executive Director of the Leadership Orientation and Basic Rights Advocacy Centre, said the condition of magistrates in Anambra State mirrored the poor state of magistrates’ courts across the country.
Okafor said that many magistrates’ courts had become subjects of ridicule due to prolonged neglect.
He said several magistrate’s and customary courts in Anambra now resemble makeshift structures as a result of inadequate government attention to infrastructural development.
“Magistrates’ welfare nationwide remains poor, those in Anambra earn between about N160,000 and N250,000 monthly, depending on rank, despite handling the bulk of litigation in the justice system.
“The continued neglect of magistrates has negatively affected justice delivery, leading to practices that undermine judicial integrity, ” he said.
The civil society advocate said lawyers and activists have continued to demand improved welfare for magistrates nationwide, lamenting that in some states magistrates and judiciary staff are still employed under state civil service commissions instead of judicial service commissions.
Okafor urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene by ensuring funds allocated to the judiciary are released promptly to enable authorities address challenges facing magistrates across the country.
He also called for the National Judicial Institute (NJI) to convene a national conference to develop strategies and legal frameworks to strengthen justice delivery at the magistrates’ level and ensure state judiciaries received their statutory allocations.
Okafor further urged the Anambra State Government, in the short term, to improve magistrates’ welfare through salary increases, provision of official vehicles, and renovation of magistrate and customary court facilities across the state.
The stakeholders in the judicial system in Ebonyi have also decried the poor welfare conditions of the magistrates, and dilapidated court facilities in many states of the federation.
They urged the federal and the state governments to prioritise well-being of magistrates in the country.
Mr Samuel Ede, the Ebonyi State Chairman of NBA said the situation of the welfare package would remain worrisome.
Ede, therefore, acknowledged that the state Governor, Francis Nwifuru, had given SUV cars each to magistrate.
According to Ede, giving them cars was not good enough; there is the need to increase their welfare (salary) to bring better operations than making car gifts.
“A situation, where, a magistrate’s monthly take home stands at less than N200, 000. Where will such money take the person to in this present economy of Nigeria?
“Yes, this topic (welfare of magistrates), is so fascinating and call for deeper sense of responsibility because the welfare of the magistrates as part of the administrators and officers in the temple of justice that administer justice, is very very paramount.
“Well, in Ebonyi state, like Oliver Twist says, thank you for the one you have done, but we are asking for more, especially on the monthly pay of the magistrates, which is a little bit over N200, 000.
“Looking at the economic situation in the country and Ebonyi, more needs to be done to improve living conditions of the magistrates. An SUV car gift is not enough and, remember, the maintenance of the SUV car is very exorbitant.
“A Magistrate deserves good living conditions,” the chairman said.
Mrs Emmanuella Otu, a Legal Practitioner, noted that the role of Magistrates in the justice system could not be over-emphasised and appealed to the three tiers of government to prioritise their welfare.
According to Otu, empirical analysis reveals that it is not uncommon for a Magistrate to preside over a litany of cases in a single day’s sitting.
“l have appeared in court where the cause list had over 20 cases before a Magistrate.
“Although these courts have limited jurisdiction, it does not negate the fact that they handle most of the early cases from these officers; they require adequate remuneration for services rendered to the state.
“Indeed, they are the unsung heroes of the common man in the society,” she stated.
A Magistrate, who prefers anonymity also decried the poor welfare conditions of the magistrates across the country, which he said had been “neglected to the background.”
“Generally, everything about the the welfare of the magistrate is very very poor, knowing the fact that all of us are lawyers. We attended the same university, same law school and we are all called to the bar.
“When you compare the judges and the magistrates, the difference is astronomical.
“In the judiciary, the magistrate is the mostly closer to the people. So, we do most of the cases that do not even go to the high court.
“It is rejected cases from the magistrate that are usually sent to the high court.
“The Magistrates court is accessible and closer to the people but in Nigeria, it is neglected to the background.
“Though, here in Ebonyi, the Governor, Francis Nwifuru is doing well. Of course, I benefitted from the SUV car gifts. The magistrates here do not go to work with public transport or on foot,” the Magistrate stated.
It is a similar situation in Enugu State as judicial stakeholders have urged the state government to intervene in providing enough fund for the welfare of magistrates for easy access to justice and quick justice delivery in the state.
A human rights lawyer, Mr Olu Omotayo, said that it was necessary for the state government to intervene in providing enough fund for the welfare of the magistrates for better working condition,
Omotayo, who is also the President, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), appealed to the state government not to leave the welfare of the magistrates to the state judiciary alone.
The rights activist urged the government to find a way to look into their welfare, adding that the state judiciary could not do it alone.
Omotayo noted that the welfare of the magistrates was based on the state financial capability while the high court judges were paid by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The stakeholders lamented that many magistrates operated under poor conditions, including inadequate salaries, security and lack of basic logistical support compared to the high court judges.
A Magistrate, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, urged Gov. Peter Mbah to make the welfare of magistrates, who played crucial roles in the administration of justice, a matter of urgent concern.
The source noted that many magistrates did not have functional vehicle as the state government had not provided them with any over the years.
According to the source, working conditions and remuneration of magistrates should reflect the importance and sensitivity of their responsibilities.
It recalled that during the administration of ex Gov Sullivan Chime, magistrates, judges, traditional rulers, Local Government councilors and all the public secondary schools were given vehicles while salaries of judicial officers were increased but it was no longer the same after his administration.
“Magistrates are not members of JUSUN because they have their own professional body, but they deserve better welfare packages.
“I want to say that improving our welfare will promote independence and enhance efficiency in the magistracy,” the source said.
Similarly, a legal practitioner, Mr John Ugwu, decried the poor welfare conditions of magistrates in the state and the country at large and called for urgent government intervention.
He noted that proper welfare for magistrates would boost their morale, enhance performance and strengthen the justice delivery system.
Ugwu said that many magistrates suffer in silence, a situation which affected their ability to perform optimally without drawing public attention to their challenges.
According to him, the Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) has a responsibility to do more in advocating improved welfare for its members in order to boost their morale.
(NAN)