JUSUN Threatens Fresh Strike Over Judiciary Autonomy

Court workers under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria have threatened to embark on indefinite industrial action following the failure of some states to pass the law granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.

They said only eight out of the 36 states have passed the law.

“If they refuse to do the needful, the plan is to go on strike when they need us the most and that is before the elections,” JUSUN’s Treasurer, Jimoh Musa, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

Recall that JUSUN had in April 2021 embarked on a nationwide strike that lasted over two months in its push for the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary in the 36 states.

The union’s National Executive Committee on June 9, 2021, suspended the strike, citing the intervention of the National Judicial Council and other stakeholders.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had last year signed Executive Order 10 for the enforcement of the constitutional provision of financial autonomy for judiciary at the state level.

But the 36 state governors kicked against the Executive Order.

However, in May, the governors and JUSUN signed a Memorandum of Action for the full implementation of financial autonomy.

Our correspondent learnt that about nine months after the strike was suspended, many governors have yet to grant full financial autonomy to the judiciary in their states.

Musa however told our reporter that only eight states had complied.

He said, “We just concluded our NEC in Kano and we had reports from each state. Only eight states have passed the law and even at that, they have failed to uphold what they signed which is an impeachable offence.

“We suspended the strike due to the influence of the CJN and the NJC. This is nine months after the suspension of that strike and nothing has been done.

“We will disappoint them when they need us and that is before the elections, we will go on strike at a proper time but before we do so, we will do the needed consultations. We will consult with the CJN, NJC and other relevant partners. We will go on strike at a period when they will be frustrated and that is before the elections.

“We at JUSUN have continued to be patient and we did not want to be seen as adamant and that was why we called off the strike. We will however consult with the individuals who waded into the suspended strike, hear from them and go on strike at the perfect time when they will need us.”