‘Nigerian Judicial Officers Aren’t Properly Remunerated’

Professor (Justice) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye is a bundle of erudition, judicial activism and sagacity, all rolled into one. His inevitable exit from the Kogi State Judiciary last year, having attained the then mandatory retirement age of 65, brought tears to many eyes. With a sound Doctorate degree in Law, expertise in Electronic Evidence, as well as being a published author, His Lordship gave the best of himself to Kogi State and the country during his years on the Bench. Now fully settled in the Academia as a Visiting Professor of Law at the National Open University of Nigeria, Professor Ajileye told Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi in a conversation over the weekend, that his only regret so far, is that the Kogi State Government has failed to pay his retirement benefits and gratuity a year after his meritorious exit. He discussed a range of issues concerning the Judiciary, and expressed his concerns about the poor remuneration, conditions of service and welfare of Judges, and the much faulted process of appointment of judicial officers

Your erudition as evinced in your landmark judgements and publications, are attestations to your industry and scholarship. Many expected to see you in the ivory tower taking up a professorial chair. Many Universities are still jostling to have you. What has been your response so far? Tell us about life after your retirement from the Bench last year, after reaching the then mandatory retirement age of 65?

Thank you for your kind words. By the grace of God, I am now part of the ivory tower of academia, if that is what you mean. At one of the events of my Valedictory programme, specifically, the book launch, three universities (University of Jos, Baze University and Federal University, Lokoja) announced their readiness to offer me a professorial chair. Ultimately, I have settled down with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), as a Visiting Professor. The operation of the University, as a virtual learning institution, is in tandem with my background. My post-graduate studies were carried out through virtual studies, except for the doctoral residencies that required physical presence. NOUN as a virtual institution offers several advantages, making education more accessible, flexible, and convenient. Now, I can be anywhere in the world and deliver my lectures with ease. Such benefits, are also open to students.

As I reflect on the past year in retirement, I am filled with gratitude to God Almighty and a profound sense of peace. It has been a journey of self-discovery, new beginnings, and a deepening connection with the blessings that retirement brings. God’s provision has been evident in every step, and I am truly thankful for the opportunities and challenges that have shaped this chapter of my life. I now know that retirement is not an endpoint, but a new beginning. The journey has been laden with

“The only regret I have about my retirement, is the failure of the Kogi State Government to pay my gratuity one year after my retirement. I am not alone in this. Other judicial officers who retired in the last two years in Kogi State, are also affected”