Renovate Courts, Increase Magistrates’ Pay, NBA tells Adeleke

The Nigeria Bar Association, Osogbo branch, has appealed to Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, to review upward, the salary and allowances of magistrates and district customary court presidents in the state.

The association also lamented infrastructural decay in the state’s high courts and magistrates courts, noting that most of the buildings housing the courts were old and almost dilapidating structures.

The Osun NBA made the call in a letter to the governor signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Yemi Abiona and Ibrahim Hassan, respectively.

“Our concern as an association of lawyers is borne out of the pride of place which the judiciary occupies in our noble profession and which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has entrusted on the judiciary.

“As a corollary to the foregoing, we humbly appeal to Your Excellency to review upwardly the remuneration (salary and allowances) of the magistrates and District Customary Court Presidents.

“We appreciate the fact that the performance of the current government of the state, since assumption of office, has been marvelous. We appeal to Your Excellency to lift our magistrates from the murky water of economic quagmire occasioned by the recent skyrocketing prices of goods and services in the country,” the NBA said.

Apart from salary increase, the NBA also appealed to Adeleke to purchase official cars for magistrates and District Customary Court Presidents in the state.