The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has said that 80 per cent of Nigerian judges are still tenants.
Wike stated that judges being at the mercy of landlords is an embarrassment to the Nigerian government.
He also said accommodation challenges for judges will be solved soon.
According to the minister, the issue would be solved before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first term.
He said, “I have been going around and sometimes when I see where our judges and magistrates sit, it’s very embarrassing and then you still want them to deliver justice quickly. You need to provide a good learning environment, good offices, and good courts for them to be able to do that.
“Sometimes you see our justices are living as tenants and sometimes when they are not able to pay on time, they are at the mercy of the landlords. The landlord can use their cars to block the gates – you have not paid us – that can be embarrassing,” Wike said.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the construction of the Magistrate Court Jabi area of Abuja, Wike described the poor welfare of judges as an issue of great concern.
”Even where you are living, you don’t even know where criminals are, sometimes you are living with those criminals around, so how do you know, so how do you want to guarantee your life?
“Mr President has said that it has to come to a stop and let me assure you that before the end of the first tenure of Mr President, we would have solved 80 per cent of your accommodation problems in terms of housing.
“By the end of this year, we are going to hand over 20 units of duplexes of four-bedroom flats to the Federal High Court and by June next year, during the third anniversary of Mr President, we are also handing over 30 duplexes to the FCT High Court,” he added.