Ibrahim Muhammad, the recently retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, is anticipated to get a N2.5 billion separation payment from the Federal Government.
Less than a week after being accused of financial mismanagement and poor leadership by the 14 Supreme Court Justices, Muhammad resigned on the grounds of his health on Monday.
In response to the situation, the interim Chief Justice of the Nation was sworn in as Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Monday by President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired).
A mansion in Abuja or any other city of his choice would be erected for him as part of the package the National Judicial Council has put together for the retired chief justice, along with a lump amount for outfitting it.
Along with a pension for life, he also receives a gratuity worth 300% of his N3.36 million annual base pay.
In 2019, the National Judicial Commission had recommended paying Walter Onnoghen, Muhammad’s predecessor, N2.5 billion.
Alfa Belgore, a former CJN, was reportedly paid over N2.8 billion after he left service.
A retired chief judge is entitled to at least four domestic staff members and several personal maintenance benefits, exactly like state governors.
This covers compensation for lodging, utilities, entertainment, health care, security, furnishings, and automobiles.
The complete information regarding the allowances was not made public, even though the compensation and severance package for political, public, and judicial authorities were published on the website of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
According to Section 291 (2) and (3a-c) of the 1999 Constitution as well as Section 2 of the Pensions Rights of Judges Act, the former CJN will get the financial package.
However, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters were given a new directive on Tuesday to look into the corruption charges made against the recently retired Chief Justice of Nigeria by fourteen Supreme Court Justices.
The allegations against the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the crisis currently roiling the judiciary are being investigated by a committee chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, according to Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
When announcing the investigation into the former CJN during plenary on Tuesday, Lawan recalled that on the 21st of June he had drawn the Senate’s attention to media reports on the situation at the Supreme Court, where Justices of the high court had complained about poor welfare conditions and a hostile work environment in a petition addressed to the CJN and the head of the National Judicial Council.
He emphasized the necessity for the Senate to act quickly on the situation since any topic involving the judiciary was extremely important to the country and the Senate could not afford to do anything and watch it get out of hand.
The Senate President instructed the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to investigate the underlying causes of the most recent development in the judiciary and determine the appropriate course of action for the upper chamber to take in response to the Justices’ concerns.
Senator Bamidele, the committee’s chair, stated that his staff was making preparations to interact with pertinent parties from the Bar and the Bench to look into the situation as ordered by the President of the Senate.
