The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) on Thursday continued its indefinite nationwide strike even after meeting with leaders of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on how to resolve
The union had gone ahead with the strike which enters its third day today despite Monday’s appeal by the NBA to JUSUN to shelve the strike for the sake of justice administration system which the lawyers’ association said was still in the recovery phase following the COVID-19 crisis.
The strike was declared to protest against the denial of judiciary its financial autonomy status by the executive arm of government
The union’s grievances are less against the federal government which has been complying with limited financial autonomy for the judiciary, by placing the federal judiciary in the first line charge of the budget.
What is left to be achieved at the federal level is for the judiciary to be able to send its budget to the national assembly for passage without a prior tinkering by the executive arm of government.
At the state level, the judiciary is totally at the mercy of the governors who only release money to the chief judge of the various states as they please.
The union said on Thursday that the strike would not be called off until its demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary is met.
“The strike continues until we meet, discuss and achieve our demands, then we will end the industrial action,” said the national treasurer of JUSUN, Mr. Jimoh Musa, who led the union’s delegation to the meeting.
Also speaking, the 1st vice president, Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins, who stood in for the NBA president, Mr. Olumide Akpata, condemned the silence of the federal government over the matter.
“I will like to say that there is a silence of the federal government over the ongoing strike by judiciary workers.
“It is unfortunate. JUSUN gave a 21-day ultimatum over the strike and the government did nothing to aver it,” he said.
