Ayade swears in president customary court, reviews judiciary workers’ salary 

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has sworn in the new President of Cross River Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Anjor Mbe.

He has also approved upward review of salaries and welfare of judicial officers by 100 per cent.

He made this announcement Tuesday at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Calabar.

The governor said he was acting on the recommendations of the judicial workers Welfare Review Committee headed by retired Justice Eyo Effiong Ita as Chairman and the state’s Head of Service, Timothy Ogbang Akwaji as Secretary,

It would be recalled that before now, magistrates and a handful of other judicial workers have usually protested at the governor’s office over non-inclusion of their names in the state payroll.

At a time the governor even denied knowledge of their engagement in the service.

The new salary regime will start from August 1, 2022.

Judges of the Customary Court of Appeal will also have their salaries increased by 100 percent while those of Magistrates will be increased by 50 percent.

At today’s event, the governor further granted all judicial officers in the state immediate land allocation.

According to Ayade, “As a matter of state government’s policy, any judicial officer sworn-in will have his or her official car ready for delivery.

“We have witnessed a massive vacancy in the Ministry of Justice occasioned by retirement. To this effect, we have approved for the Chief Judge with the support of the Head of Service and the Civil Service Commission, the employment of 500 workers in the Ministry of Justice for the first phase alone.”

He disclosed that his administration has equally approved the setting aside of 25 percent of the gross emoluments to support judicial officers’ allowances in terms of vacation, travels, among others.