The Senate, on Wednesday, immediately began the screening of the 11 nominees appointed for confirmation as justices of the Supreme Court.
President Bola Tinubu sent the names of the nominees in a letter read to senators on the floor by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday.
The names were referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, which immediately commenced the screening of the judicial officers at the National Assembly.
Barring any changes, the Senate will receive the report of the committee, which is chaired by Sen. Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno State), on Thursday for possible confirmation the same day.
The apex court, by the requirements of the 1999 Constitution, is to have the full complement of 21 justices, a number that is short currently.
On November 16, the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), in a bid to fill the existing vacancies, named 22 justices of the Court of Appeal for possible elevation to the Supreme Court and forwarded the same to the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The NJC, at its 104th meeting, picked 11 out of the 22 for confirmation as justices of the apex court.
All 11 nominees were present for the exercise on Wednesday.
The justices are Jummai Hannatu Sankey; Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa; Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme; Haruna Simon Tsammani; Moore Aseimo A. Adumein; Obande Festus Ogbuinya; Stephen Jonah Adah; Habeeb Adewale O. Abiru; Jamilu Yammama Tukur; Abubakar Sadiq Umar; and Mohammed Baba Idris.
Making his opening remarks before the session went into closed doors, Monguno said the legislature had a responsibility to “jealously guard the independence of the judiciary” by insulating it against abuses.
He cited insufficient funding as one major problem in the judiciary, which Monguno said the Senate was addressing in the 2024 budget.
Monguno spoke on how his committee suspended the consideration of the budget of the judiciary and invited the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, to appear before it and explain the yearly under-funding of the judiciary.
He added that the National Assembly was ready to work closely with the judiciary to bring about needed reforms in the country’s body of laws.
“We are going to collaborate to bring about necessary reforms in our laws, to bring them in tandem with the realities of today.
“We want the Supreme Court to have its full complement so that their work will be unhindered,” Monguno stated.
The Leader of the Senate, Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi, who also spoke at the session, expressed the displeasure of the legislature over the long delay in filling the vacancies in the apex court.
“The last time we experienced this in the Senate was three years ago.
“We had to take eight justices together. Today, it’s 11. My appeal to the appointing authority is to avoid this type of situation of waiting for a long time before sending the names of these nominees, he stated.
Opeyemi reminded the Federal Government of the financial implications of nominating 11 new justices for elevation to the apex court, advising the government to fully provide for their welfare.
“NJC doesn’t have to run from pillar to post to source funding for their operations, their cars, or their offices,” the Senate leader added.
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