President of Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dogban-Mensem , has said that training and preparation of justices to handle 2023 election petition tribunals have been put on hold due to lack of funds.
Justice Dogban – Mensem who made the disclosure on Monday during the Court 2022/2023 New Legal Year ceremony stressed that timely release of the funds will ensure adequate and effective preparation .
“It is pertinent to state that adequate preparation requires adequate funding. The essential ingredient for the Tribunals to function effectively to maximum capacity is the provision of the much needed funding to provide adequate facilities for the Tribunals across the Nation,” she warned.
“The funds to prosecute the 2023 General Election Petition Tribunals have still not been released. This is becoming worrisome as it may impede plans to constitute the various Tribunals and Courts,” she stressed.
According to her, “training of Judges and Registry staff is also on hold pending the release of funds.
Justice Dogban-Mensem,said that a 13- man Judicial Electoral Manual Committee was inaugurated on May 18,2023 to review Judicial Electoral Manual in order to bring to it in line with Electoral Act, 2022.
The President of Court of Appeal assured however that the Judicial Electoral Manual is under production and will soon be presented, while nomination of judicial officers to man the tribunals have been received by the Court of Appeal from Heads of Courts across the nation.
According to the President of Court of Appeal, a total of 6,017 Appeals and 13,896 motions were filed in the 20 Divisions of the Court in 2021/2022 Legal year while 33,647 appeals was carried over from 2020 Legal year.
Out of the appeals, 5,188 was determined and 8,018 motions disposed off, 3,951 appeals were dismissed, while 1,237 appeals were allowed.
She added that 34,037 appeals were pending before the court as at August 30,2022.
In his address at the ceremony, the President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, said he believed that the Federal government is undermining the work of the judiciary.
He expressed concern that a report of a committee that reviewed salaries and allowances of Judges, submitted to the Attorney General of the Federation in 2018 have not received attention till date.
This is sign of deliberate actions to ensure that judiciary did not function effectively .
The minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation,Abubakar Malami, SAN,said that work on salary increases for judges will soon be completed.
He, however, stated that this year decision of the Industrial Court which approved increases in the salaries of Judges “is open to appeal”.
Malami said that Buhari administration is committed to improve and sustain yearly budgetary increases for the judiciary and had demonstrated this from 2016 to date.