Acting Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Honourable Justice Nathan Musa, on Thursday, inaugurated a four-member committee to embark on verification exercise of judiciary staff in the state.
The exercise was aimed at fishing out ghost workers from the system as well as fast track judicial processes in the administration of justice.
Those inaugurated to serve in the committee include; Hon. Christie N. Tarfa (DCR Personnel), Chairman; Hon. Aliyu Halilu Chiroma (DCR Probate), Vice Chairman; Hon. Aliyu Bawuro(DCR Procurement), Member; while Barr. Bashiru Musa Santuraki is to serve as Secretary.
The committee is to determine the authentic total number of the permanent judiciary staff including their present rank/status, as well as the genuine number of casual staff (month to month) of the judiciary.
The committee is also expected to determine issues of illegal and unsubstantiated promotions in terms of grade level and steps, and also to determine the total number of deceased persons, those who left the service and are still on the payroll of the judiciary.
The committee has two weeks to submit its maiden or interim report and has a total of four weeks to complete its assignment.
Speaking while inaugurating the committee on Thursday, the acting CJ, Musa, said that the committee is set up primarily to verify the entire staff of the judiciary which comprises the high courts, the Sharia court and the customary court of Appeal.
Justice Nathan said that on his assumption of office, he discovered that there are problems in terms of staffing of the entire judiciary when compared to the total wage bill of over N200 million monthly.
He stated that the judiciary is now independent because it is self-accounting which means that they are to pay salaries for themselves from their own allocation which they receive directly from the allocation committee.
He added that he had found out that there are courts that are overstaffed, while others are understaffed, and that some employees are no longer staff of judiciary either by reason of death, retirement, or transfer of service, yet their salaries are still running or still on the payroll.
While on temporary staff, he said he also found out that some are on the payroll but do not have duty posts, saying that while some of them are overpaid, others are underpaid.
According to him, he felt there is the need to constitute a committee to checkmate all the anomalies because the judiciary belongs to all of them, explaining that he is there to ensure that the state judiciary is rated the best in the country.
He urged them to checkmate all the leakages so that they can have funds to run the judiciary, pointing out that the function of the committee is to go to the field and confirm all those things he mentioned and make recommendations for upward presentation to the Judicial Service Commission for necessary action.
Musa told them that as men of proven integrity and senior staff of judiciary, they are expected to take the job very seriously, saying that he is confident that they will not fail the people of the state.
While congratulating them, he charged them not witch-hunt anybody as the committee is a fact-finding one, and expected to get facts and present them to the top hierarchy of the judiciary.
Responding on behalf of the committee, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Christie N. Tarfa (DCR Personnel), appreciated the acting CJ for the confidence reposed in them and assured him of their commitment towards carrying out the assignment.
Hon. Christie, said that the judiciary is for all of them and it is their responsibility to make things work, and promised not to witch-hunt anybody.
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