The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed that judges of the FCT High Court will no longer live in rented apartments by the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first term in office.
Wike made the declaration on Monday during the flag-off ceremony for the design and construction of official residences for the Heads of Courts in Abuja. He said the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of judicial officers.
“Before the end of Mr. President’s first tenure, no judge of the FCT High Court will be living in a rented apartment,” Wike stated. “This excludes judges of the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court.”
According to the minister, the project has been captured in the approved 2024 and 2025 FCT budgets, both of which have been passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Tinubu.
Wike recalled that the President, upon appointing him, emphasized the need to prioritize the comfort and safety of judicial officers.
“Mr. President made it clear that the welfare of judges is a top concern,” he noted. “We cannot continue with a system where judges handling sensitive cases live in rented houses, sometimes not even knowing their landlords or neighbours.”
The minister also disclosed that the new residences for Heads of Courts would become their personal property upon retirement, with Certificates of Occupancy already issued in their names.
The initiative, Wike said, covers the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judges of the Federal and FCT High Courts, and the Judge of the National Industrial Court. It complements earlier developments such as the construction of 40 judges’ quarters in Katampe District and new magistrate courts in Jabi.
He clarified that the project falls within the mandate of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), stressing that it does not constitute interference with judicial independence.
“The FCDA is responsible for constructing public buildings in the FCT, and this is part of that responsibility,” Wike said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, hailed the initiative as a major step toward strengthening judicial independence and integrity.
“Providing secure and befitting accommodation enhances the operational independence and dignity of the judiciary,” Fagbemi said. “With such comfort, the temptation of corruption will be greatly reduced.”
Fagbemi further commended President Tinubu and Minister Wike for their commitment to institutional reform and infrastructural development within the justice sector.
