President Bola Tinubu has assured judges that their budget remains unchanged, insisting that new housing and infrastructure won't compromise funding. Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday during the opening of 20 residential quarters for FCT High Court judges in Katampe, marking three years in office.
The president, represented by attorney general Lateef Fagbemi, defended the housing project against critics who claimed it was designed to improperly sway the judiciary. He questioned whether similar accusations were levelled at 10 staff quarters recently handed over to Nigerian Law School lecturers, with more promised.
"If every infrastructural project invites suspicion of corruption, then even decent homes for law lecturers would fall under that charge, and that can't be fair," Tinubu said. He stressed that the initiative is separate from the judiciary's budget, which he said remains "intact and ongoing and respected."
Tinubu acknowledged that such interventions do create influence, but insisted it's the right kind. "The influence these facilities are meant to inspire is commitment—freeing judicial officers to focus on their duties, preserve the rule of law, and adjudicate without discomfort," he explained.
He added that the project demonstrates government commitment to judges' wellbeing and protecting judicial independence. "This sends a clear message that we're dedicated to the comfort, security, and protection of our judicial officers," Tinubu noted.
The president argued that judges cannot deliver justice in an unsafe environment. He stressed that judicial independence requires both independent thinking and a secure setting.
"We often speak of judicial independence in abstract terms, but that thinking demands an independent and secure environment," he said. Tinubu emphasised that judges cannot administer justice fairly when their basic comfort, security, and peace of mind are uncertain.
