Group Wants JUSUN To Call Off Strike

A rights advocacy group,
Access to Justice (A2Justice), has pleaded with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to call of its ongoing strike in some states of the federation.
The group made the appeal in a letter signed by its Executive Director, Mr Joseph Otteh, which was addressed to JUSUN’s National President, Mr Marwan Adamu.
The Tide recalls that JUSUN began the nationwide strike on January 5 following the non-implementation of the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.
The strike was eventually called off in a substantial number of states and at the federal level.
However, 15 other states whose governments have not given commitment to the judgment of the are still on strike.
“From January 5 when the strike began, and in the states where it is still on-going, the strike action is nearly four months old.
“In the states affected, courts have been shut and no activity is taking place following a lock-out enforced by your union.
“A2Justice appeals to JUSUN to consider calling off the strike action at this time,” the group said.
According to the group, the impact of the strike has been massive and has the most disproportionate effect on persons, mostly “outsiders,” to the policy making circuit.
A2Justice said:” Newly elected governors will be sworn into office in some of states on May 29, which is barely a month from this time.
“This is the situation in states like Kaduna, Enugu, Plateau, Taraba and Nasarawa , among others.”
It said that for governors in the affected states to come to office and meet a pre-existing and on-going strike that had effectively crippled the operations of a vital branch of government would not be a good start to the business of governance.
The group also urged JUSUN to consider the plight of thousands of suspects and accused languishing in detention in police and prison cells.
It expressed concern that courts could not provide justice to their cases because of the strike.
A2Justice said: “The wholesale denial of the constitutional rights of these people over this protracted period, with no immediate expectation of amelioration or relief, is a staggering and grave injustice to them.
“These “casualties” of the strike bear no responsibility for the state of affairs that triggered the strike by JUSUN.”
It said that some of the state governments that refused to comply with the judgment had little feeling of guilt about the suffering the strike was causing innocent parties.
The group said: “Given all this, A2Justice implores JUSUN to end this strike now, and re-open locked court houses for business.
“ We urge JUSUN to be responsive to the distress the strike has caused to vulnerable people and to remember that many Nigerians support the fight for a truly independent Judiciary.”
Meanwhile, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Benue chapter on Monday suspended its four month- old strike.
This is contained in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Samuel Wuaor, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.
“The union suspended the strike following an undertaking by Benue State Government to comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court , Abuja regarding the independence and financial autonomy of the judiciary,’’ it stated.
According to the statement, the Benue chapter of the union also sought and obtained the permission of the JUSUN national headquarters to suspend the strike.
It, therefore, called on all members of staff of the judiciary in Benue to report in their offices with immediate effect.