The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given assurance that no judge in the FCT will be living in a rented apartment.
He said the move will be completed before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first tenure.
Wike gave the assurance on Monday while flagging off the design and construction of residences for the Heads of Courts.
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Those to benefit include the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, and the President of the Industrial Court.
According to the minister, the project reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers in the capital territory.
“I consider today to be one of the most important days,” Wike said.
“When we were appointed to serve in this administration, one of the things Mr President emphasised was improving the welfare and performance of judicial officers.”
“I told him you can’t afford to continue seeing judges in rented houses.”
He stressed that allowing judges to live in rented apartments exposes them to security risks and compromises their safety.
“Sometimes, they don’t even know their landlords or neighbours, yet these judges preside over sensitive criminal and civil matters. You never can tell what could happen,” he warned.
Wike also commended the Attorney General of the Federation for supporting the initiative, noting that the development marks a new chapter in the history of the FCT.
“I challenge anybody to show when this has ever happened before. Before the end of the first tenure of Mr President, no FCT High Court judge will be living in a rented quarter,” he declared.
