Customary court appointees lament non-payment of entitlements

Customary court appointees in Cross River State have cried out to the state government over the non-payment of stipends in the 96 district courts in the three senatorial zones in the state.

The court which is tasked with the responsibility of dispensing justice at the grass-root level is presided over by the president and two members who were appointed by the Cross River State government in February 2019.

As of now, the state government is yet to pay the 288 members whose tenure had already expired in January 2022, and the Cross River State Judicial Service Commission which is the interfacing agency has not addressed their grievance despite repeated correspondence.

One of the members who spoke on condition of anonymity said that several of their members are sick and one has just died due to the government’s inability to fulfill the condition of engagement.

Presidents and members are entitled to N41,000 and N31, 000 emoluments every month.

Efforts by the LENS reporter to reach officials of the JSC for comment on the matter were naught at the time of filing this report.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)