JUSUN Gives Conditions For Ending Strike In States

The national leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has explained why its members in the federal courts have resumed work while their state counterparts remain on strike.
The union explained in its letter of “Resolution and directives in respect of the strike by the union”, yesterday that the Federal Government had undertaken to meet its demand unlike the 36 state governments.
The letter containing resolutions reached after series of meetings of the union with governmentý was obtained by our correspondent yesterday.
The ýletter signed by the National Assistant Secretary of the union, P. Nnamani, was addressed to the vice presidents, chairmen and assistant secretaries of chapters and branches of the union.
JUSUN members had on January 5 embarked on a nationwide strike but on Sunday, the union’s NEC asked the federal court workers to resume duties on Monday.
The union stated in its letter yesterday that the strike would only be suspended in the states where their governments had given commitment to comply with the judgment which the union is agitating for its implementation.
It added that a joint team comprising representatives of government is to monitor Federal Government’s compliance with its undertaking.
It read in part, “That the strike by the union at the federal chapters – the federal courts, the National Judicial Institute, the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission is hereby suspended with effect from January 26, 2015.
“That the strike in the state branches (state judiciaries – shall continue until the individual states give a reasonable commitment to implement the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria supported by the judgment of the Federal High Court.
“The expected contents of the commitment shall comprise:
(a) That ýmonies due to the judiciary should be paid over to the heads of courts on monthly or quarterly basis on the preference of the Federal Government of Nigeria or individual states.
“(b) The process of requiring the judiciary to process approvals through the executive should cease forthwith.
“(c) Compliance with the terms of the judgment which reinforced the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with effect from January 2015.
“(d) That no JUSUN member shall be penalised and/or denied any salaries ýfor embarking on strike to implement the judgment.
“You are further informed that the stakeholders chaired by the Secretary to the Federal Government have put in place a joint team of JUSUN, NJC, representatives of the office of the SGF, the state attorneys-general.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), chief registrars, Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to monitor compliance with the constitutional provision.
“At the federal level, the monitors shall be chaired by the NBA and the secretary shall be from NJC, while at state level, the chairman shall be the chairman of the NBA branch of the state and the secretary shall be the chief registrar of the High Court.”
The union had asked its members at both the state and federal levels to proceed on a nationwide strike on January 5, 2015, to press for the implementation of a January 13, 2014 judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja which affirmed the judicial autonomy of the nation’s judiciary.
The judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola abolished the piecemeal funding of the judiciary and ordered the Accountant-General of the Federation to be deducting funds standing to the credit of the judiciary from the Federation Account and be disbursing same to the various heads of court.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence, Senator Mohammed Magoro (left), receiving copies of White Paper on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Alakyo killings in Lafia.