Workers’ Strike Hits Courts in Abuja, Others
by Eric Ikhilae, Abuja, Adebisi Onanuga, Joseph Jibueze, Precious Igbonwelundu, Lagos, Osagie Otabor
Nigerian Nation
COURTS were paralysed yesterday as workers under the auspices of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) began an indefinite strike.
The strike followed the alleged refusal of the Executive arm of government at the federal and state levels to comply with a January 13, 2014 judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court.
The judgment, among others, upheld financial autonomy for the judiciary and declared as unconstitutional, the piecemeal release of its budgetary allocations.
The strike came at a critical stage in the nation’s electioneering process, when many politicians, who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their parties’ primaries, are in court, hoping to have their cases resolved before next month’s general election.
This is the second time the nation’s judiciary workers would be going on strike on the issue since the judgment was given by Justice Ademola.
The workers shut courts for over two weeks in July. They suspended the strike when the Presidency, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, intervened.
Representatives of parties relevant to the execution of the judgment, including the accountant general of the federation (AGF), states’ accountants general, commissioners of Finance, among others, held meetings with leaders of JUSUN, which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November.
The MoU, dated November 27, 2014, directed the accountant general of the federation to deduct directly from allocations to states’ judiciaries at the last Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) meeting in December.
But yesterday in Abuja, the main gates to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal headquarters (located within the Three-Arms Zone), the Federal High Court headquarters within the Central Business District and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama were locked when The Nation visited.
Some court officials, who reported for work after the holidays, were turned back by JUSUN officials, led by its President, Marwan Adamu.
The JUSUN officials went round courts to enforce the strike.
On the strike, Adamu said: “There is no going back. We will persist until they (the Executive) respect the judgment of the court. This strike is, therefore, indefinite.
“Since we suspended our initial strike, the government and its representatives engaged us in series of meetings, where about seven agreements were signed. The last one was the MoU signed in November.
“Yet, noting has happened. They promised to comply, but at the last FAAC meeting, we were surprised when they all started shouting no, no, no.
“The accountant general of the federation has refused to obey the judgment. We have tolerated and accommodated them enough.
“In a situation where courts’ judgments are not obeyed, we are heading towards anarchy. We are happy that there is total compliance with this strike throughout the federation.”
The JUSUN president, who sympathised with litigants and other court users, said the workers had no choice, but to go on strike to compel implementation of a subsisting court judgment and the agreement reached with them.
All was quiet at the high and magistrates’ courts in Lagos State yesterday, as workers also complied with the directives of the national leaders of JUSUN.
Among cases caught in the industrial action was the application filed by Pastor Temitope Joshua, seeking to stop the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the September 12, 2014, building collapse.
Justice Lateefa Okunnu could not deliver her ruling in the matter.
Also, the coroner, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, could also not sit.
Litigants and lawyers were prevented from entering the Lagos and Ikeja High court by officials of JUSUN.
Judges, who reported early for work and hoping to carry on with court proceedings, were turned back as the gates were locked.
The situation was also the same at the state’s magistrates’ courts.
Court registrars were around, but they could not access the court rooms.
JUSUN’s National Deputy President Samuel Adesanya told reporters yesterday that the strike began on January 2 as scheduled, despite the public holidays.
An executive of the Lagos branch of JUSUN, Mr. Adelenu Tajudeen, said the court gates would remain locked till further notice.
The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Ikoyi was also locked as the workers stayed off. Those who reported for work returned home.
Angry litigants and lawyers, who had thought the association would not carry out the threat, expressed displeasure over the situation.
They said JUSUN should have considered the implication of its action on the masses.
They explained that the strike would cause hardship to those in detention while police cells would witness more congestion.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Kayode Bankole, expressed worries that state governments were yet to compile with the judgment several months after it was delivered.
When contacted, the National Secretary of JUSUN, Isaiah Adetola, said: “All state high courts will remain closed until they complied with the judgment of the court and grant financial autonomy to the judiciary.”
In Edo State, courts’ gates were also locked as the state’s JUSUN officials monitored events to ensure full compliance .
Besides the demand for judicial autonomy, the state JUSUN is also seeking the payment of July 2013 salaries to its members.
The salary was reportedly withheld because the state government enforced the “no-work no-pay rule” after JUSUN members joined a national strike. Its Chairman, Uyi Ogieriakhi, said his members were being victimised by the state for participating in the strike.
According to him, “The July salary is a right Edo State cannot continue to keep. We embark on a strike to fight for autonomy of the judiciary.
“The strike we went for was a statutory strike, but workers are being victimised by the government. We are urging the governor to take a look at the July salary. We cannot continue to wallow in a situation, where the judiciary will be caged.”
Nigerian Nation
COURTS were paralysed yesterday as workers under the auspices of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) began an indefinite strike.
The strike followed the alleged refusal of the Executive arm of government at the federal and state levels to comply with a January 13, 2014 judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court.
The judgment, among others, upheld financial autonomy for the judiciary and declared as unconstitutional, the piecemeal release of its budgetary allocations.
The strike came at a critical stage in the nation’s electioneering process, when many politicians, who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their parties’ primaries, are in court, hoping to have their cases resolved before next month’s general election.
This is the second time the nation’s judiciary workers would be going on strike on the issue since the judgment was given by Justice Ademola.
The workers shut courts for over two weeks in July. They suspended the strike when the Presidency, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, intervened.
Representatives of parties relevant to the execution of the judgment, including the accountant general of the federation (AGF), states’ accountants general, commissioners of Finance, among others, held meetings with leaders of JUSUN, which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November.
The MoU, dated November 27, 2014, directed the accountant general of the federation to deduct directly from allocations to states’ judiciaries at the last Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) meeting in December.
But yesterday in Abuja, the main gates to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal headquarters (located within the Three-Arms Zone), the Federal High Court headquarters within the Central Business District and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama were locked when The Nation visited.
Some court officials, who reported for work after the holidays, were turned back by JUSUN officials, led by its President, Marwan Adamu.
The JUSUN officials went round courts to enforce the strike.
On the strike, Adamu said: “There is no going back. We will persist until they (the Executive) respect the judgment of the court. This strike is, therefore, indefinite.
“Since we suspended our initial strike, the government and its representatives engaged us in series of meetings, where about seven agreements were signed. The last one was the MoU signed in November.
“Yet, noting has happened. They promised to comply, but at the last FAAC meeting, we were surprised when they all started shouting no, no, no.
“The accountant general of the federation has refused to obey the judgment. We have tolerated and accommodated them enough.
“In a situation where courts’ judgments are not obeyed, we are heading towards anarchy. We are happy that there is total compliance with this strike throughout the federation.”
The JUSUN president, who sympathised with litigants and other court users, said the workers had no choice, but to go on strike to compel implementation of a subsisting court judgment and the agreement reached with them.
All was quiet at the high and magistrates’ courts in Lagos State yesterday, as workers also complied with the directives of the national leaders of JUSUN.
Among cases caught in the industrial action was the application filed by Pastor Temitope Joshua, seeking to stop the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the September 12, 2014, building collapse.
Justice Lateefa Okunnu could not deliver her ruling in the matter.
Also, the coroner, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, could also not sit.
Litigants and lawyers were prevented from entering the Lagos and Ikeja High court by officials of JUSUN.
Judges, who reported early for work and hoping to carry on with court proceedings, were turned back as the gates were locked.
The situation was also the same at the state’s magistrates’ courts.
Court registrars were around, but they could not access the court rooms.
JUSUN’s National Deputy President Samuel Adesanya told reporters yesterday that the strike began on January 2 as scheduled, despite the public holidays.
An executive of the Lagos branch of JUSUN, Mr. Adelenu Tajudeen, said the court gates would remain locked till further notice.
The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Ikoyi was also locked as the workers stayed off. Those who reported for work returned home.
Angry litigants and lawyers, who had thought the association would not carry out the threat, expressed displeasure over the situation.
They said JUSUN should have considered the implication of its action on the masses.
They explained that the strike would cause hardship to those in detention while police cells would witness more congestion.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Kayode Bankole, expressed worries that state governments were yet to compile with the judgment several months after it was delivered.
When contacted, the National Secretary of JUSUN, Isaiah Adetola, said: “All state high courts will remain closed until they complied with the judgment of the court and grant financial autonomy to the judiciary.”
In Edo State, courts’ gates were also locked as the state’s JUSUN officials monitored events to ensure full compliance .
Besides the demand for judicial autonomy, the state JUSUN is also seeking the payment of July 2013 salaries to its members.
The salary was reportedly withheld because the state government enforced the “no-work no-pay rule” after JUSUN members joined a national strike. Its Chairman, Uyi Ogieriakhi, said his members were being victimised by the state for participating in the strike.
According to him, “The July salary is a right Edo State cannot continue to keep. We embark on a strike to fight for autonomy of the judiciary.
“The strike we went for was a statutory strike, but workers are being victimised by the government. We are urging the governor to take a look at the July salary. We cannot continue to wallow in a situation, where the judiciary will be caged.”
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