President Bola Tinubu yesterday defended the housing scheme for judicial officers, constructed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), dismissing as misplaced the suggestions that the initiative could compromise the independence of the judiciary.

In another development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed plans to seek presidential approval for beneficiaries of the newly completed judges’ quarters to own the houses under an owner-occupier arrangement.

The president, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), spoke at the commissioning of 20 housing units for judges of the FCT High Court in Katampe District, Abuja, describing the project as another milestone in the administration’s commitment to strengthening the judiciary through improved welfare and infrastructure.

Tinubu said the commissioning formed part of a broader programme aimed at reinforcing the rule of law by providing secure and dignified accommodation for judicial officers across the country.

Responding to the alleged executive interference in the judiciary, Tinubu asked the critics to level the same charge against the staff quarters recently commissioned for lecturers of the Nigerian Law School.

He added: “If every act of infrastructural provision is to be read as a corrupting influence, then even decent housing for our law lecturers will fall under this suspicion. That cannot be a fair standard.”

The president insisted that the housing projects were intervention programmes that had no bearing on the statutory budget or financial independence of the judiciary. According to him, quality accommodation would enhance the security, comfort and peace of mind of judicial officers, enabling them to discharge their constitutional responsibilities without fear or distraction.

“We cannot expect judges to dispense justice without fear or favour if their basic comfort, security and peace of mind are left to chance. True judicial independence is built on the dignity of our judicial officers,” Tinubu said.

Earlier, Wike revealed that he would seek Tinubu’s approval to convert the newly commissioned judges’ quarters into owner-occupier residences for the beneficiaries, saying the proposal had already received the support of the attorney general.

Wike also pledged to construct another 20 housing units for judges of the FCT High Court before the end of Tinubu’s first term, acknowledging that the current allocation could not accommodate all judicial officers.

He added that three new court complexes for judges and magistrates would be completed and handed over before the end of the year to improve the administration of justice in the territory.

Wike also dismissed the allegations on social media that he had grabbed land in Abuja, explaining that the site where the judges’ estate was built was lawfully recovered from Julius Berger in the overriding public interest after remaining undeveloped for over three decades.

In the meantime, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, described the housing project as a significant boost to judicial independence, insisting that the welfare of judicial officers was “an institutional necessity, not a privilege.”

According to him, the welfare of judicial officers “is an institutional necessity that promotes stability, enhances productivity, safeguards personal security and preserves the dignity that must accompany judicial office.”

Justice Baba-Yusuf argued that judicial independence could not rest on constitutional guarantees alone but required practical institutional support through quality accommodation, adequate infrastructure and conducive working conditions.