JUDICIARY STRIKE: Chief Registrar Chased Away From Court Premises in Nigeria
January 07, 2015
By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor
Nigerian Vanguard
LAGOS—The strike action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, took a disturbing turn yesterday as the striking union officials chased away the Chief Registrar to the Lagos State High Court and locked out Judges from their courtrooms.
Inquest suffers setback
The strike action also took its toll on the ongoing coroner’s inquest investigating the causes of multiple death at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, guest house last year.
The work to rule by the striking workers that commenced on Monday, according to them was to fight for the independence of the judiciary.
This is the seventh time that the workers, will embark on such action but has yielded no result except promises from the authorities.
In some instances, there were differences over such actions among the workers in the state judiciary and the Federal judiciary, where the latter refused to join the action until they were compelled by JUSUN officials.
As at yesterday, some of the officials of the JUSUN, who were said to have come from Abuja to supervise the action locked all gates into the court premises with keys and chains.
The height of their action, was when the workers vehemently refused the plea to enter the premises by the state High Court Chief Registrar, Mr Olugbenga Ogundare, accompanied by the High Court Internal Auditor and Director of Finance and Administration who arrived the premises at about 9.05 am.
Judge rebuffed
Also, a Judge, (name withheld) was rebuffed by those officials mounting the gate, who insisted that the Judge cannot enter into the premises, maintaining that proper notices were served before the commencement of the action.
Efforts to speak with the Registrar was futile as he said he was not ready to talk on the issue.
Already, the strike action has affected so many cases and other ancillary matters such as families whose wills were meant to be read yesterday by probate officials.
Bank’s fate
Also, a branch of the Skye Bank located within the court premises were shut out of business.
Meanwhile, further proceedings into the coroner investigating the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church, Ikotun, Lagos was stalled as well.
The coroner presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe had on December 23, 2014 adjourned till January 6, 2015.
The inquest was instituted under the Lagos State Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to unravel the cause of the building collapse which had a total of 116 allegedly killed when the six-storey building collapsed on September 12, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/judiciary-strike-chief-registrar-chased-away-court-premises/#sthash.pvD0FBW5.dpuf
Judiciary workers vow to continue strike until financial autonomy is achieved
BY OUR REPORTER
JANUARY 6, 2015
The National President, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, on Monday in Abuja said current strike will continue till financial autonomy is achieved for the judiciary.
Mr. Adamu stated this in an interview with judiciary correspondents at the Federal High Court headquarters complex.
He said that JUSUN was compelled to down tools due because of the inability of the authorities to comply with a 2014 court order granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.
Mr. Adamu said “The strike is indefinite and we are not ready to go back until the government complies with the court judgment.
“There was a court judgment since January 13, 2014; no stay on that judgment and nobody is willing to comply with that judgment.
“If a court of competent jurisdiction delivers a judgment and the state governors who are beneficiaries of the judgment decide not to respect it, I do not think we are doing the right thing for this country.”
“By the same token, state governments through their accountants-general and commissioners for finance being members of Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) equally contributed to this industrial action,’’ he said.
JUSUN downed tools in 2014 to press home the demand for full compliance with the judgment, but called off the strike following intervention.
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| JUSUN President Marwan Adamu vows to continue strike. |
By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor
Nigerian Vanguard
LAGOS—The strike action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, took a disturbing turn yesterday as the striking union officials chased away the Chief Registrar to the Lagos State High Court and locked out Judges from their courtrooms.
Inquest suffers setback
The strike action also took its toll on the ongoing coroner’s inquest investigating the causes of multiple death at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, guest house last year.
The work to rule by the striking workers that commenced on Monday, according to them was to fight for the independence of the judiciary.
This is the seventh time that the workers, will embark on such action but has yielded no result except promises from the authorities.
In some instances, there were differences over such actions among the workers in the state judiciary and the Federal judiciary, where the latter refused to join the action until they were compelled by JUSUN officials.
As at yesterday, some of the officials of the JUSUN, who were said to have come from Abuja to supervise the action locked all gates into the court premises with keys and chains.
The height of their action, was when the workers vehemently refused the plea to enter the premises by the state High Court Chief Registrar, Mr Olugbenga Ogundare, accompanied by the High Court Internal Auditor and Director of Finance and Administration who arrived the premises at about 9.05 am.
Judge rebuffed
Also, a Judge, (name withheld) was rebuffed by those officials mounting the gate, who insisted that the Judge cannot enter into the premises, maintaining that proper notices were served before the commencement of the action.
Efforts to speak with the Registrar was futile as he said he was not ready to talk on the issue.
Already, the strike action has affected so many cases and other ancillary matters such as families whose wills were meant to be read yesterday by probate officials.
Bank’s fate
Also, a branch of the Skye Bank located within the court premises were shut out of business.
Meanwhile, further proceedings into the coroner investigating the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church, Ikotun, Lagos was stalled as well.
The coroner presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe had on December 23, 2014 adjourned till January 6, 2015.
The inquest was instituted under the Lagos State Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to unravel the cause of the building collapse which had a total of 116 allegedly killed when the six-storey building collapsed on September 12, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/judiciary-strike-chief-registrar-chased-away-court-premises/#sthash.pvD0FBW5.dpuf
Judiciary workers vow to continue strike until financial autonomy is achieved
BY OUR REPORTER
JANUARY 6, 2015
The National President, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, on Monday in Abuja said current strike will continue till financial autonomy is achieved for the judiciary.
Mr. Adamu stated this in an interview with judiciary correspondents at the Federal High Court headquarters complex.
He said that JUSUN was compelled to down tools due because of the inability of the authorities to comply with a 2014 court order granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.
Mr. Adamu said “The strike is indefinite and we are not ready to go back until the government complies with the court judgment.
“There was a court judgment since January 13, 2014; no stay on that judgment and nobody is willing to comply with that judgment.
“If a court of competent jurisdiction delivers a judgment and the state governors who are beneficiaries of the judgment decide not to respect it, I do not think we are doing the right thing for this country.”
“By the same token, state governments through their accountants-general and commissioners for finance being members of Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) equally contributed to this industrial action,’’ he said.
JUSUN downed tools in 2014 to press home the demand for full compliance with the judgment, but called off the strike following intervention.
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