President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s resolve to strengthen the independence of the judiciary through improved welfare and security of judicial officers.
President Buhari made this known on Wednesday when he commissioned 20 housing units provided by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for judges of the FCT High Court at the Judges’ Quarters in Katampe, Abuja.
Speaking through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Tinubu said judicial independence is not only about the constitutional guarantees but also requires an environment that allows judges to perform their functions without fear or favour.
He stresses the importance of decent and secure accommodation for judicial officers to protect the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
We cannot expect judges to administer justice without fear or favour if their comfort, security and peace of mind are at the mercy of chance. ”Real independence of the judiciary is based on the dignity of our judicial officers,” he said.
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The President said that the commissioning of the new estate was the completion of the construction of 10 housing units each for judges of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.
He said his administration had also awarded the contract for the first phase of 10 housing units for lecturers and staff of the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, while work on the second phase was ongoing. He also announced that the foundation for the residential quarters for judges of National Industrial Court and Code of Conduct Tribunal has been laid.
“The projects are part of a focused and sustained effort to strengthen the judiciary, one of the three pillars of Nigeria’s democracy,” Tinubu said.
He also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his dedication to infrastructure development and urban renewal in Abuja.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yunusa, described the project as a significant investment in the welfare and dignity of judicial officers.
He said the initiative would enhance judges’ productivity, improve their security and reinforce the independence required for the effective administration of justice.
“The welfare of judicial officers is not a privilege; it is an institutional necessity that promotes stability, enhances productivity, safeguards personal security and preserves the dignity that must accompany judicial office,” he said.
In his remarks, the FCT minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, said the 20 housing units formed part of a 40-unit judges’ quarters developed by the FCTA to provide secure, functional and comfortable accommodation for judicial officers.
He said the project is in line with the commitment of President Tinubu to deepen the judiciary by improving the welfare and working conditions of judges.
But Wike assured that the administration would continue to expand the estate, saying he was confident that another 20 housing units for FCT High Court judges would be completed before the end of the president’s first term in office.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Dauda, said the contract for the project was awarded in September 2024.
Dauda said the development consists of 20 fully furnished five-bedroom duplexes with boys’ quarters.
The estate also has supporting infrastructure that includes an event centre, neighbourhood shopping facilities, a gatehouse, generator houses with standby generators, landscaped recreational areas and perimeter fencing, he said.
