The National President, Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Saidu Safiyanu Umar on Wednesday, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent the Bill, seeking to recognise magistrates as judicial officers.
Mr. Umar made the plea in a statement he personally signed and made available to Journalists.
He, similarly pleaded with President Tinubu to elongate the years of service for magistrates from 60 to 65.
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He stressed that Magistrate Courts are the grassroot , which performed bulk of the judicial work and the nearest court to masses.
He pointed out that the code of conduct for judicial officers of Federal Republic of Nigeria recognised magistrates as judicial officers.
However, they were excluded on renumiration and welfare, leaving magistrates as neither Judicial officers nor civil servants without well define condition for service.
In the statement, the President of the Association, called for harmonization and unification of the salary structures for all tmagistrates in the country.
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He explained that the Bill seeking the constitutional amendments of section 318 of CFRN to recognise magistrates as judicial officers was rejected by the former President.
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“Magistrates Association of Nigeria is an umbrella body of all the magistrates in Nigeria with Branches spread across the 36 states and FCT.
“The association was formed in 1970 at Benin the then Bendel State and the 1st President of the Association is Justice Belgore former CJN.”
