Editorial
Sustaining Ban On Affidavit Racketeering
As part of efforts to strengthen the management of the Judiciary to provide effective services to the public, the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, has banned racketeering of affidavits by unauthorised persons within and around the Judiciary complex in Port Harcourt. The statement also stated that individuals or groups caught in violation of the prohibition would be prosecuted.
Justice Amadi said so when he met with members of the Rivers State chapter of the Judiciary/Crime Reporters Association, who visited him in his Port Harcourt office. The Chief Judge stated that the situation had become disconcerting as the touting of affidavits in front of the court complex had assumed a lucrative livelihood.
Indeed, Amadi’s audacious move to rid the headquarters of the state Judiciary premises of touts is commendable and a desirous way to begin office. Lawyers, litigants and many others who have a thing or two to do in the court arena are daily harassed and molested by this group of persons in the name of searching for customers to create a means of livelihood. The time has come to get rid of them and put an end to the situation.
During the administration of the immediate past Chief Judge, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, the rampaging touts were severally dislodged, while some were arrested and charged to court at different times. How the court cases were determined is unclear. But the fact that the touts have always returned after each raid to harass passersby and motorists, is an indication that definitive measures have never been taken to contain the threat. It appears that the authorities are powerless to successfully get rid of them.
With the renewed fight against touting, Amadi must ensure that the battle this time is carried through. It appears that affidavit-seeking touts are gradually becoming a strong force to contend with. They seem to have a longstanding partnership. Since many are making a fortune from the business, it is going to be difficult to evict them with mere barking orders. This will take more than that.
Besides, some of the racketeers go beyond the affidavit venture and engage in pursuits where they strut as middlemen and women to get vital official court documents that should, in usual practice, not be found in their custody. This brisk merchandising goes on unabated regardless of the veracity of the contents of such documents or the provisions of the law on the illegal act.
The law lays down certain conditions for issuing affidavits. Sadly, those stipulations are daily subverted by touts and court officials, who bend the rules and rob the system of millions in the process. With regard to the declaration of age, the law provides that no declarant under the age of 50 can personally swear an affidavit. They are required to come along with an older person, such as the mother, the father, an uncle or an elder brother, who would inform the oath commissioner about their knowledge of the time the declarant was born as well as provide other necessary data about the person.
Unfortunately, this provision of the law is circumvented daily when commissioners of oaths sign declarations that are presented to them by touts without regard to the designated procedures. This is also the case with other documentations in the court such as loss of items and change of name. The consequence is that anyone would be able to falsify information about themselves such as age or any declaration and have them signed in court.
The matter is now worsened by the touts, who issue fictitious affidavits at greatly inflated cost than the official ones. Many scalpers make thousands of naira every day by signing these fake documents with their stamps thereby depriving the government of the necessary income. That is why the authorities of the state Judiciary must rise and resolve this problem by stopping the touts and their collaborators who, of course, are court officials.
During the recent nationwide strike by Judiciary workers to press home their demands for judicial autonomy, the court workers shut all courts while the strike lingered. This meant that court premises were locked, cashiers were not receiving revenue, commissioners of oath were not working and judges stayed out of work.
Surprisingly, in the circumstances, some Nigerians had been freely obtaining court documents and affidavits from the closed courts that had no workers. While the court documents could not be obtained remotely and without payments to the court cashiers, it is believed that “unknown-court-staff” were providing fraudulent services in the closed courts across the state and the country as well.
This growing trend has continued unabated even when it is known to the authorities that there are internal collaborators without whom the touting business can hardly flourish. Unfortunately, thousands of touts are now indulging in the enterprise while the management of the court is looking the other way. We denounce this tendency. If the Chief Judge is resolved to get at a quick remedy to the problem, offending court officials have to be identified and sanctioned.
It has become expedient for Justice Amadi and his officials to properly direct persons coming to the court to do business or swear affidavits to prevent their becoming victims of oath canvassers. If, despite this measure, touts are obstinate in proceeding with their nefarious career of engaging in fake affidavit endeavours, they should be promptly apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Preferably, a taskforce should be inaugurated to continuously check the trend. These measures would hopefully put a final check on the problem and perhaps, restore the required sanity and dignity to the hallowed vicinity of the third arm of government. This will ensure that funds for the smooth management of the institution, but constantly diverted from the system by the unhealthy activities of touts, are sustained.
Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has unveiled a gratuitous proposal to increase the salaries of political and public office holders in the country. This plan seeks to fatten the pay packets of the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, and members of the National and State Assemblies. At a time when the nation is struggling to steady its economy, the suggestion that political leaders should be rewarded with more money is not only misplaced but insulting to the sensibilities of the ordinary Nigerian.
What makes the proposal even more opprobrious is the dire economic condition under which citizens currently live. The cost of living crisis has worsened, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of workers, and the naira continues to tumble against foreign currencies. The majority of Nigerians are living hand to mouth, with many unable to afford basic foodstuffs, medical care, and education. Against this backdrop, political office holders, who already enjoy obscene allowances, perks, and privileges, should not even contemplate a salary increase.
It is, therefore, not surprising that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has stepped in to challenge this development. SERAP has filed a lawsuit against the RMAFC to halt the implementation of this salary increment. This resolute move represents a voice of reason and accountability at a time when public anger against political insensitivity is palpable. The group is rightly insisting that the law must serve as a bulwark against impunity.
According to a statement issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the commission has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Although a hearing date remains unconfirmed, the momentous step of seeking judicial redress reflects a determination to hold those in power accountable. SERAP has once again positioned itself as a guardian of public interest by challenging an elite-centric policy.
The case, registered as suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, specifically asks the court to determine “whether RMAFC’s proposed salary hike for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers in Nigeria is not unlawful, unconstitutional and inconsistent with the rule of law.” This formidable question goes to the very heart of democratic governance: can those entrusted with public resources decide their own pay rises without violating the constitution and moral order?
In its pleadings, SERAP argues that the proposed hike runs foul of both the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the RMAFC Act. By seeking a judicial declaration that such a move is unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the rule of law, the group has placed a spotlight on the tension between self-serving leadership and constitutionalism. To trivialise such an issue would be harum-scarum, for the constitution remains the supreme authority guiding governance.
We wholeheartedly commend SERAP for standing firm, while we roundly condemn RMAFC’s selfish proposal. Political office should never be an avenue for financial aggrandisement. Since our leaders often pontificate sacrifice to citizens, urging them to tighten their belts in the face of economic turbulence, the same leaders must embody sacrifice themselves. Anything short of this amounts to double standards and betrayal of trust.
The Nigerian economy is not buoyant enough to shoulder the additional cost of a salary increase for political leaders. Already, lawmakers and executives enjoy allowances that are grossly disproportionate to the national average income. These earnings are sufficient not only for their needs but also their unchecked greed. To even consider further increments under present circumstances is egregious, a slap in the face of ordinary workers whose minimum wage remains grossly insufficient.
Resources earmarked for such frivolities should instead be channelled towards alleviating the suffering of citizens and improving the nation’s productive capacity. According to United Nations statistics, about 62.9 per cent of Nigerians were living in multidimensional poverty in 2021, compared to 53.7 per cent in 2017. Similarly, nearly 30.9 per cent of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$2.15 per day. These figures paint a stark picture: Nigeria is a poor country by all measurable standards, and any extra naira diverted to elite pockets deepens this misery.
Besides, the timing of this proposal could not be more inappropriate. At a period when unemployment is soaring, inflation is crippling households, and insecurity continues to devastate communities, the RMAFC has chosen to pursue elite enrichment. It is widely known that Nigeria’s economy is in a parlous state, and public resources should be conserved and wisely invested. Political leaders must show prudence, not profligacy.
Another critical dimension is the national debt profile. According to the Debt Management Office, Nigeria’s total public debt as of March 2025 stood at a staggering N149.39 trillion. External debt obligations also remain heavy, with about US$43 billion outstanding by September 2024. In such a climate of debt-servicing and borrowing to fund budgets, it is irresponsible for political leaders to even table the idea of inflating their salaries further. Debt repayment, not self-reward, should occupy their minds.
This ignoble proposal is insensitive, unnecessary, and profoundly reckless. It should be discarded without further delay. Public office is a trust, not an entitlement to wealth accumulation. Nigerians deserve leaders who will share in their suffering, lead by example, and prioritise the common good over self-indulgence. Anything less represents betrayal of the social contract and undermines the fragile democracy we are striving to build.
Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has unveiled a gratuitous proposal to increase the salaries of political and public office holders in the country. This plan seeks to fatten the pay packets of the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, and members of the National and State Assemblies. At a time when the nation is struggling to steady its economy, the suggestion that political leaders should be rewarded with more money is not only misplaced but insulting to the sensibilities of the ordinary Nigerian.
What makes the proposal even more opprobrious is the dire economic condition under which citizens currently live. The cost of living crisis has worsened, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of workers, and the naira continues to tumble against foreign currencies. The majority of Nigerians are living hand to mouth, with many unable to afford basic foodstuffs, medical care, and education. Against this backdrop, political office holders, who already enjoy obscene allowances, perks, and privileges, should not even contemplate a salary increase.
It is, therefore, not surprising that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has stepped in to challenge this development. SERAP has filed a lawsuit against the RMAFC to halt the implementation of this salary increment. This resolute move represents a voice of reason and accountability at a time when public anger against political insensitivity is palpable. The group is rightly insisting that the law must serve as a bulwark against impunity.
According to a statement issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the commission has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Although a hearing date remains unconfirmed, the momentous step of seeking judicial redress reflects a determination to hold those in power accountable. SERAP has once again positioned itself as a guardian of public interest by challenging an elite-centric policy.
The case, registered as suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, specifically asks the court to determine “whether RMAFC’s proposed salary hike for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers in Nigeria is not unlawful, unconstitutional and inconsistent with the rule of law.” This formidable question goes to the very heart of democratic governance: can those entrusted with public resources decide their own pay rises without violating the constitution and moral order?
In its pleadings, SERAP argues that the proposed hike runs foul of both the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the RMAFC Act. By seeking a judicial declaration that such a move is unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the rule of law, the group has placed a spotlight on the tension between self-serving leadership and constitutionalism. To trivialise such an issue would be harum-scarum, for the constitution remains the supreme authority guiding governance.
We wholeheartedly commend SERAP for standing firm, while we roundly condemn RMAFC’s selfish proposal. Political office should never be an avenue for financial aggrandisement. Since our leaders often pontificate sacrifice to citizens, urging them to tighten their belts in the face of economic turbulence, the same leaders must embody sacrifice themselves. Anything short of this amounts to double standards and betrayal of trust.
The Nigerian economy is not buoyant enough to shoulder the additional cost of a salary increase for political leaders. Already, lawmakers and executives enjoy allowances that are grossly disproportionate to the national average income. These earnings are sufficient not only for their needs but also their unchecked greed. To even consider further increments under present circumstances is egregious, a slap in the face of ordinary workers whose minimum wage remains grossly insufficient.
Resources earmarked for such frivolities should instead be channelled towards alleviating the suffering of citizens and improving the nation’s productive capacity. According to United Nations statistics, about 62.9 per cent of Nigerians were living in multidimensional poverty in 2021, compared to 53.7 per cent in 2017. Similarly, nearly 30.9 per cent of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$2.15 per day. These figures paint a stark picture: Nigeria is a poor country by all measurable standards, and any extra naira diverted to elite pockets deepens this misery.
Besides, the timing of this proposal could not be more inappropriate. At a period when unemployment is soaring, inflation is crippling households, and insecurity continues to devastate communities, the RMAFC has chosen to pursue elite enrichment. It is widely known that Nigeria’s economy is in a parlous state, and public resources should be conserved and wisely invested. Political leaders must show prudence, not profligacy.
Another critical dimension is the national debt profile. According to the Debt Management Office, Nigeria’s total public debt as of March 2025 stood at a staggering N149.39 trillion. External debt obligations also remain heavy, with about US$43 billion outstanding by September 2024. In such a climate of debt-servicing and borrowing to fund budgets, it is irresponsible for political leaders to even table the idea of inflating their salaries further. Debt repayment, not self-reward, should occupy their minds.
This ignoble proposal is insensitive, unnecessary, and profoundly reckless. It should be discarded without further delay. Public office is a trust, not an entitlement to wealth accumulation. Nigerians deserve leaders who will share in their suffering, lead by example, and prioritise the common good over self-indulgence. Anything less represents betrayal of the social contract and undermines the fragile democracy we are striving to build.
