Inflation affecting administration of justice —NJC

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has said the current inflation in the country was affecting the administration of justice.

The Executive Secretary, NJC, Ahmed Saleh, stated this on Tuesday while defending the council’s 2022 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters.

According to Saleh, the judiciary rolled some of its 2021 projects to the 2022 fiscal year due to galloping inflation.

He noted that the judiciary’s 2021 budget of N110 billion had been implemented up to 70 per cent. However, he said the statutory transfer for the year 2022 will be N120 billion.

“We are aware that this is possible because of your sustained campaign for the funding of the judiciary,” he added.

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He continued: “Permit me at this point to make some observations regarding the prevailing economic situation in the country. In the year 2020 December, the exchange rate of Naira was N380 to $1 and the rate was N480 to $1 at the parallel market.

“So, given these indices and galloping inflation that the country is witnessing, particularly some of our budgetary provisions that are foreign components, our performances were affected.

“Inflation was projected to be 11.95 per cent, but as of now, it is 17.0 per cent, so definitely all our projects in goods and services were affected.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the committee, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) assured the judiciary of adequate funding.

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