Litigation For Payment Of Judges’ Pension? Unacceptable  By Johnson Odion Esezoobo Esq

Litigation For Payment Of Judges’ Pension? Unacceptable  –By Johnson Odion Esezoobo Esq

 When shall we ever do what is right in this Country? We keep sinking because we never do anything right. I hope we can save our Judges from being allowed the indignity of having to resort to litigation to get paid their terminal benefits and pensions.  

I am raising this alarm because of the danger it portends. As a litigant, and then a legal practitioner, I know what it takes to go to a Nigerian Court for redress. Let me not fail to commend the National Industrial Court in this respect for its avowed consciousness in delivering justice in record time.

If a Judge who retired at 65 is allowed to go to Court after a year or two to pursue payment of his benefit at which time he has become  66-67 years, and after two to three years at the Court of first instance, four to five years at the Court of Appeal and then six to ten years at our Supreme Court, with the improperly managed appeal process in Nigeria, by the time he will be pursuing enforcement if he succeeds at the apex Court i.e. if he is not driven back from the seat of judgment for one technicality or the other such as having signed his process “as & Co” or for having not sought leave before appealing, the man should rather make his Will for his children to continue the fight for post humous payment of his pension. This is the fate of the litigant before our appellate Courts.

 Thus, apart from calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise up against allowing our Judges to be subjected to the indignity of having to resort to the Court process to get paid their pension and gratuity. I am seizing this opportunity to advise the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to reorganise themselves toward effective and functional justice delivery for the citizenry. It is a national duty they must not shirk. Any wrong that is allowed to stand is like an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good. 

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