By BASHIR ADEFAKA
In exercising the powers vested in him under the 1999 Constitution as amended, President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday at the State House, assented to a fresh amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This was as the President signed into law the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No.37), 2023” presented to him by the outgoing Ninth National Assembly.
With the signing of the Constitutional amendment Bill, retirement age and pension rights of judicial officers have been effectively brought into uniformity and other related matters, according to a statement to the effect by Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, the State House Director of Information, dated June 8, 2023 and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Thursday.
While signing the amendment Bill into law, President Tinubu pledged his administration’s dedication to strengthening the judiciary, ensuring the rule of law, and empowering judicial officers to execute their responsibilities effectively.
A further finding revealed that, by implication, the bill is to ensure uniformity in the retirement age and pension rights of judicial officers of superior courts of records and also extends the retirement age from 65 years to 70 years.
The bill defines a judicial officer of superior courts of record thus: “A judicial officer appointed to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, High Court of Federal Capital Territory Abuja, High Court of a State, Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Sharia Court of Appeal of a State and Customary Court of Appeal of a State may retire when he/she attains the age of sixty-five years and he shall cease to hold office when he attains the age of seventy years”.
