STRIKE ENTERS THIRD WEEK AS GOVS PARRY AUTONOMY WITH NBA , JUSUN

 

The ongoing nationwide indefinite strike action of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) enters third week from Monday, 26th April, 2021 as there is no appearance of concrete implementation of the financial autonomy of the Judiciary by the Governors of the states.

It will be recalled that the strike action started having biting effect from 6th April, 2021 after the Easter festivities, though the ultimatum issued by JUSUN to government elapsed during the Easter period.

Despite the compliance of many Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association with the directive of the national leadership of the Association to pay visit to their respective State Governors on Mondays commencing from Monday, 19th April, 2021, some Governors snubbed the NBA  Branches when they paid visits on Monday, 19th April, 2021.

THE SQUIB reports that a planned negotiation meeting between the Minister of Labour , Dr. Chris Ngige, Nigerian Bar Association , Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, who are also agitating for independence of the States' Houses of Assembly failed to hold as the JUSUN leaders led a walkout after 1 hour of being kept waiting by the Minister of Labour.

As at press time, there is no concrete implementation of financial  autonomy by most State Governors. The emerging scenario is for some State Governors to assert that they are "implementing financial autonomy 100 percent".

A case in point is Lagos State Government which have been shouting to the rooftops that it has implemented "Financial Autonomy" and that JUSUN should return to work. Ironically, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Honourable Justice Kazeem Alogba also asserted that the Lagos State Judiciary is enjoying financial autonomy.

The question is : how autonomous is Lagos State Judiciary? The best answer to the question lies in the recent incident of sharing of cars like gifts to Honourable Judges of the High Court of Lagos State by the Governor of Lagos State , sometimes last year.

To add insult to injury, the Lagos State Chairman of JUSUN, Asiwaju Kehinde Sobowale in a statement which was  subsequently recanted , claimed that there is financial autonomy in Lagos State Judiciary as his Union was given two buses by Lagos State Government. He subsequently recanted his position and reaffirmed the strike in Lagos State.

As the strike enters third week, the Governors continue to parry the demand for financial autonomy of the Judiciary. As at press time, THE SQUIB can only report the NBA BENIN Branch as the only Branch that has issued Notice to embark on a visit to the Governor for the second Monday, being 26th April, 2021.

As at the time of filing this report, THE SQUIB is not seized of any similar notice or notices from Branches of the NBA in Lagos State either the NBA Ikeja Branch that preferred to March to the Lagos House , Alausa on Monday, 19th April, 2021 or the 4 other Branches that held a Session with Governor of Lagos State at Lagos House, Marina on Tuesday ,20th April, 2021.