Ogun Judges Demand Regular Review of Salaries, Decry Neglect of Judiciary

Retired and serving judges in Ogun State have called for the regular review of judicial officers’ remuneration, stressing that well-being should be sustained rather than addressed sporadically.

They also decried inadequate funding and poor infrastructure, noting that despite being the third arm of government, the judiciary is often treated as an afterthought.

The call was made on Tuesday at the Ogun State 2025 Judges’ Conference themed “Judicial Officers’ Well-Being” held at the Judicial Complex in Abeokuta, the state capital.

In her welcome address, the Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, lamented the stagnation of judicial salaries, describing it as a silent testament to institutional neglect. She recalled that salaries remained unchanged for 15 years until 2023 when President Bola Tinubu signed the new Act on Judicial Salaries and Allowances.

While expressing gratitude to the president for the intervention, she urged that the development should not be a one-off occurrence but the start of consistent investment in judicial welfare.

“For decades, the judiciary, the third and co-equal arm of government, has been treated as an afterthought. We have endured inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and a painful disconnect between the responsibilities we bear and the resources allocated to us” she said.

Dipeolu added that judges face significant personal and professional pressures, including dilapidated courtrooms, outdated technology, security concerns in residences and limited resources.

“For fifteen years, from 2008 to 2023, our salaries remained stagnant. Last year brought hope with the new Act signed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, this progress must not be sporadic. True well-being is sustained, not occasional” she stated.

She cited research showing that judges often suffer higher levels of distress, burnout, hypertension, and mental health challenges due to heavy workloads, long hours, and exposure to trauma.

The Chief Judge advised judicial officers to prioritise personal wellness by developing wellness plans, maintaining access to healthy food, taking regular vacations, and fostering supportive communities. “A healthy judiciary is a productive and incorruptible judiciary” she said.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, retired Justice Solomon Olugbemi agreed that the judiciary has been consistently neglected by the executive and legislative arms.

He described such treatment as unfair to judicial officers who have served for decades or retired at 60 yet struggle to maintain quality of life.

Olugbemi further recommended amending the constitution to make state judiciary funding a direct charge on the Federation Account, to be disbursed by the National Judicial Council directly to heads of courts through their chief judges.