Cites NJC as sponsor

The Federal High Court of Nigeria has refuted claims of its Judges’ yearly training in London being sponsored by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

The Chief Registrar of the court, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, clarified in a statement on Sunday that the training was neither at the instance of AMCON nor funded by the organization.

The court expressed disappointment over a media report alleging AMCON’s sponsorship of the foreign training. The report, published by Sahara Reporters on August 4, 2023, was described as a calculated attempt to malign the court’s image.

Contrary to the media report, the statement revealed that the training of the Judges was bankrolled by the National Judicial Council (NJC) as part of its statutory functions.

The relevant budgetary sub-heads utilized for the training were specified as 0103 International Travels and Training, 0104 International Travels: Others (Medical), and 0502 International Training (Course Fee).

Addressing the involvement of AMCON and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in the training, the court emphasized that their roles were purely participatory as experts in their respective fields.

It further stated that foreign training for Judges has been a tradition to keep them updated on international best practices, given the global feature in the court’s jurisdiction.

The statement urged Sahara Reporters to retract the publication and refrain from disseminating unprofessional and false reports about the court and its Judges. It asserted that the court operates an open-door policy, and information can be verified through appropriate channels.

The Federal High

Court emphasized its commitment to empowering Judges with the relevant tools to develop their judicial competence and to uphold the integrity of the judiciary.

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