By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Contrary to public accusations and misconceptions that the building of houses for judges in Abuja is for political gains, the FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike has said that the gesture is a welfare package to promote judicial independence.
Wike on Wednesday in a Media Chart with journalists explained that the construction of homes for judges is not his policy, but one of the welfare packages by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government designed to promote the independence of the Nigerian judiciary.
The minister revealed that the project was approved in the 2024 budget, and he is only performing his duty of implementing it.
Wike said,“ Tinubu said, ‘Where are the judges living? They have no homes and are therefore open to political manipulation and for me, for a president who wants to guarantee the independence of the judiciary judges must have their homes.”
“I am not Mr. President; I am only lucky to be appointed as a minister under this administration and who is in the position to implement his policies, and Mr. President said Look, this is what he wants, come up and see what we can do.”
“It was approved by Mr. President, sent to the National Assembly in the 2024 budget that there should be construction of judges and Justices quarters.”
That they should move judges from where they are renting houses, living among criminals.
Wike noted that Mr. President should be commended for the policy , adding that it has been incorporated into the budget of 2024, appropriated by the National Assembly, assented to by Mr. President as a law.
What is the problem? I am only the implementor, go and implement this.
However, the minister stated that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved the contract, adding that it is not his personal policy.
How will you now want to kill me that I am implementing what the Federal Government approved, he questioned?
According to Wike, he had done a similar thing by constructing homes for judges when he was the governor of Rivers State.
The former Rivers State governor lamented the criticisms for this project instead of commendations, particularly from those in the legal profession.
