The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has called for an accountable and efficient financial stewardship within the nation’s judiciary in order to ensure that the scare resources allocated to courts are sufficient and judiciously deployed to fulfil both constitutional and institutional mandates.
Kekere-Ekun, who was represented by the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Salisu Abdullahi, stated this in Abuja Monday at the opening of a national workshop on management of judicial financial resources.
The theme of the workshop is: “Optimising Judicial Resources for Effectiveness.”
Giving a welcome address, Justice Salisu noted that, in a time marked by economic constraints and increasing demands on judicial performance, effective financial stewardship is no longer optional; it is fundamental to sustaining judicial independence and public confidence.
Represented by the NJI Secretary, Mr Olumoh Abdulazees, the administrator said the workshop was meticulously designed to equip participants with practical insights into critical areas such as budgeting, internal controls, procurement planning, compliance mechanisms, and risk management.
The CJN told participants that the training underscored the shared recognition that sound financial governance is a cornerstone of judicial independence and a prerequisite for sustained public confidence.
She stated further: “We are all aware that public expectations of the judiciary continue to rise in tandem with the fiscal constraints of governance.
“Our legitimacy and effectiveness derive not only from the law we interpreted but also from the trust reposed in us by the public and the way we manage the resources entrusted to us.
“It is, therefore, critical that we confront the institutional and systematic challenges that hinder optimal financial performance within the judiciary.
“We must therefore rise to the challenge of transforming our financial management systems and build capacity of our judicial financial managers through workshop such as this one in order to forge a new culture of excellence in judicial administration.”