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Tag: JUSUN

  • Strike paralyses court activities in Ondo

    Strike paralyses court activities in Ondo

    Court premises in Ondo State were Tuesday under lock and key as Judiciary workers under the auspices of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) began an indefinite strike.

    Their action was hinged on the alleged failure of the state government to honour an agreement reached on the financial autonomy of the judicial arm of government.

    The workers who complied strictly with the strike order urged the state Governor to honour the agreement for industrial harmony in the state.

    Some judiciary workers who were seen at the premises of the Magistrate court, Oke Eda, Akure, said they were at the court premises to enforce the strike order.

    Also in Akokoland, the usually busy court premises were deserted.

    A man, Emmanuel Ojelabi who came to Magistrate Court,Ikare-Akoko as early as 7.00 a.m to transact business went home disappointed as he could not gain entry into the premises.

    An executive member of JUSUN who spoke in confidence said “we are monitoring the court in case we can see any of our member who wants to disobey the union’s directive. The status quo remains until another directive comes from the leadership of the union.”

    Speaking on the development, the state chairman of JUSUN, Mr. Ilesanmi Dido said the union could no longer allow the government to continue to breach Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which grants financial autonomy to the judiciary.”

    According to him, the administration of justice has collapsed in the state judiciary due to poor funding and non-payment of over four months salaries of JUSUN members by the state government

    The JUSUN chairman contended that if Governor Olusegun Mimiko had implemented the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on financial autonomy for the judiciary, judges and workers would not have been owed salaries.

    Dido said the autonomy would address the deplorable condition of court rooms,adding that that the strike would continue until the state government honours the agreement reached with the union two years ago on the matter.

  • JUSUN begins strike in Ondo

    JUSUN begins strike in Ondo

    Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Ondo State will today begin an indefinite strike.

    This followed the failure of the government to implement an agreement reached with the union on financial autonomy for the judiciary.

    The State Chairman, Comrade Ilesanmi Dido, said his members would no longer allow the government to disobey the constitution, which grants financial autonomy to the judiciary.

    Dido lamented that judiciary administration has collapsed due to poor funding and non-payment of salaries.

    He noted that if Governor Olusegun Mimiko had implemented the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on financial autonomy for the judiciary, judges and workers would not be owed salaries.

    He added that such autonomy would have addressed what he called “deplorable courtrooms”.

    The JUSUN chairman said during the strike, customary, magistrate and high courts will be shut.

     

     

     

  • JUSUN threatens strike over judges’ salary

    Court workers under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have threatened to embark on strike over the non-payment of salary to judges of federal courts.

    The group said Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, judges of the Federal High Court, the National Industrial Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are yet to receive salary for two months.

    JUSUN said staff of the courts and other federal judicial institutions such as the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Institute are also affected.

    JUSUN President, Marwan Adamu, said, in a statement on Thursday that failure to pay the salaries of the judicial officers and the judiciary staff was inimical to the Federal Government’s anti-corruption war.

    “The government cannot be claiming to be fighting corruption when the welfare of judges who will decide the cases is ignored. That is a way of encouraging corruption on the bench.  We want to warn that if the government does not address this urgently we will be forced to embark on a nationwide strike,” Adamu said.

     

  • Oshiomhole to Judicial workers: No work, no pay

    Oshiomhole to Judicial workers: No work, no pay

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said the Government will not use the taxes of workers to pay those who chose to stay at home for months on a strike that is ill-informed.

    Speaking at the 2015/2016 Legal Year of the State Judiciary, the Governor said the law is clear that a worker who embarks on a strike will forfeit his wage.

    It will be recalled that workers under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state had embarked on a 7-month strike action to press home their demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary.

    The Governor who said the state is proud of her Judicial Arm said; “we in the Executive in Edo State have utmost respect for the Judicial Arm on account of the courage and hard work that you have displayed.”

    He however noted that; “Under Convention 98 of the ILO, it states clearly that you have a right to go on strike, otherwise, it is slave labour but the Trade Union Act is very clear that notwithstanding any reason, if you embark on a strike, you forfeit your wages. That is the law, that is the convention and this convention has been domesticated in our labour laws and I ask you to look at all the provisions taken together in the various Trade Dispute Acts and Amendment Act, you not only forfeit your wages, you forfeit your seniority and you can be dismissed summarily.

    “This is the law and the business of the court is to interpret the law without fear even if the litigant is an officer of the court. The court is not a respecter of its own employees so it must dispense justice even if it doesn’t favour  the officers of the High Court and that is what we have taken note to do.

    “I ask my Lord privately when he was pushing for this case and I put it here. At what point does it become acceptable that we resort to illegal tools in pursuance of legal ends? Can you seek legal ends resorting to illegal means? That is resorting to self help and if other groups resort to self help, the first casualty will be the judiciary. Survival of the fittest, everybody will go for cutlass.

    “So I ask that JUSUN must run the union within the provisions of the Trade Union Act and within the provisions of the Trade Dispute Acts and if they exceed those boundaries, there are consequences.

    “There would be more honour in vacating the office than to make compensation because even the Bible says that he who does not work does not deserve to eat. Wages are not gifts offered by a kind employer. Edo State Government will not pay wages for people who chose to go on holiday, otherwise, we will have to redefine law and order”.

    The Governor promised the Chief Judge that his administration will build more court rooms before the end of his tenure so that more Judges could be posted to the state to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.

    On taxation, Oshiomhole said the state would be firm in its collection of taxes as is the case the world over. According to him, “the rich must be ready to pay taxes and this Governor will ensure that the rich in this state pay taxes. We will collect them within the law, and if they don’t pay, we will push it to the highest level that we can. It’s in the enlightened self interest of the rich to contribute for the maintenance of peace and security.

    “When we construct 6-lane road to the Airport, those six lanes are not going to be used by people without vehicles. He who drives on those roads must pay, not only for the cost of building but for the cost of maintenance. When one man occupies 20, 000 square meters of an asset that is the most important for our collective will, out of about four million Edo people, one man takes 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 square metres of land scattered round the city, some own a whole street, if you must occupy that amount of space in a whole street and the poor are crowded  20 people, a man with 3 wives and children locked onto a land space that is not more than 300 square meters in the same state and you want the police to protect you, to service that right of property, I am afraid you have to pay for every square meter that you occupy.

    “Our population will continue to grow. You do not need rocket scientist to tell you that over time, when the space of land remain constant and we are populating it with more and more people, there will be crisis of access to land. Therefore, it is sensible to make public policy expensive for people who have appetite for excessive land space to pay for it. That is the philosophy behind the Land Use Charge.”

     

     

  • Anambra NBA threatens state, JUSUN

    The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Anambra State has threatened  the State government and the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) if they failed to settle their dispute.

    Addressing reporters yesterday at the Sir Louis Mbanefo Bar Centre, Onitsha, NBA said the decision was reached in response to the strike embarked upon by JUSUN.

    Mr. Uba Anene, who spoke for other branch chairmen and secretaries, condemned what they called “an attempt by the Anambra State government to run down the judiciary and the judicial process by failing to fully implement an agreement with the JUSUN”.

    Condemning what it called the “apparent attempt by the state government to renege in an agreement entered into with JUSUN in 2011, it lashed JUSUN for not applying a human face to its job by embarking on strike on issues that could be amicably resolved while the courts were sitting”.

    “We demand that immediate consideration be given to the demands of the judiciary workers to fend off the hardship being imposed on the state and its people by the mindless closure of courts, just as we condemn the penchant of the present state government to slight lawyers and the legal industry.

    “We declare finally, that the Bar in Anambra State, as concerned stakeholders, had on three occasions formally applied for appointments with the governor to draw his attention to these anomalies privately but was routinely ignored, hence the resort to this medium.

    “It does seem that, unlike other states, the current administration in Anambra state has no interest in the usual consultation with key stakeholders.

    “We no longer intend to fold our hands while the light of the nation daily degenerates. This strike is one too many, people are suffering, police stations are filled with detainees waiting to go to courts.

    “The prisons are filled with awaiting trial inmates, the strike should be called off immediately and if that is not done, we will take further steps to make government and JUSUN listen to the voice of reason” NBA said yesterday.

  • Abia JUSUN ends 68-day old strike

    Abia JUSUN ends 68-day old strike

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Abia State has called off its 68-day old strike. It directed workers to resume work yesterday.

    The directive followed the union’s meeting with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

    A communiqué signed by National Vice President Southeast Mark Ifezue, Assistant Legal Adviser, P. Nnamani, State Chairman Emma Onyemereibeya and State Secretary Chinedu Eze, urged workers to resume work immediately.

    The union thanked Ikpeazu for paying workers’ salaries with CONJUSS and reminded him that a lot was still to be done by his administration.

    The communiqué reads: “The congress appreciates the plea of various influential judicial stakeholders, NLC, the Joint Public Negotiating Council among others.

    “Our agitation is for full independence and financial autonomy of the judiciary, which includes personnel emoluments, capital and overhead cost, including arrears from January 2015.

    “We recognise the suffering of the public towards accessing justice, so we will abide by their suggestions. This will give the government another opportunity to redeem its image in implementing the MoU it signed with the union on April 22 on the execution of the Federal High Court judgment on financial autonomy and independence of the judiciary.

    “The congress dissociates itself from dissidents and impostors parading themselves as JUSUN executives in Abia and calls on the national executive committee to impose appropriate disciplinary actions on them”.

    The union pleaded with the state government not to victimise members for participating in the strike as they were simply doing the bidding of the union.

  • Lawyer decries JUSUN’s seven-month-old strike in C/River

    Lawyer decries JUSUN’s seven-month-old strike in C/River

    A lawyer, Mr Ndoma Egodo, has appealed to the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Cross River to suspend its seven-month-old strike in the interest of the masses.

    Egodo made the appeal in an interview  in Calabar on Friday.

    He said that the prolonged strike over autonomy of the judiciary was now to the detriment of the people and a hindrance in the wheel of justice.

    According to him, many citizens of the state are presently being detained without trial.

    “The pains to go on strike for seven months; the pains JUSUN members have inflicted on the people, on the generality of all the stakeholders is enormous.

    “Innocent people have been detained endlessly in police custody without trials.

    “The fundamental rights of many citizens have been denied them as people have remained in custody for more than 24 hours.

    “This is against the provisions of the law. People are crowded in detention just because of selfish interest of some people,’’ he said.

    The lawyer said that even though the “bar’’ was in support of the autonomy of the judiciary, the strike was becoming unnecessary in view of the prevailing financial position of the state.

    He added that many lawyers in the state were suffering because of the continued strike by JUSUN, saying that it was wrong to ask for enforcement of court judgment through strike.

    “You cannot use strike to enforce court judgment. You don’t go on strike in perpetuity to enforce judicial judgment. It is very wrong.

    “In as much as we support the autonomy of the judiciary, you do not go to the extreme to make demand to the detriment of others.

    “Remember that we have Children and our children can no longer go to school. We have young lawyers here some of them between three and five years.

    “They don’t have any other job doing and now they cannot go to court. They are finding life difficult while other people are drawing their salaries every month,’’ Egodo said.

    The legal practitioner urged the JUSUN to call off the strike and continue further negotiations with the new administration in the state.

    He said that the state government’s proposal to pay the judiciary N36 million in phases should be accepted in good faith considering the poor Federal Allocation coming to the state.

    Egodo advised JUSUN to give the new administration time to settle down, rather than pushing them too far.

    He also advised them to take into consideration the plights of the generality of the citizens as well as other factors, adding that crime wave had tremendously increased in the state.

    “We support their autonomy, so that the courts should be independent but they should also bear with the society.

    “We are suffering; young lawyers are starving to death. Right now we cannot pay school fees of our children. There is no activity anywhere.

    “We are begging JUSUN in Cross River to go back to work and give the governor some time.

    “The governor has done his best by offering to pay N10 million quarterly giving the financial condition of the state.

    “They should show some understanding with the new administration,’’ Egodo said.

    However, Mr Samuel Ebong, Chairman of JUSUN, debunked the claim that non-payment of N36 million was the reason for the strike, saying that they were on strike for Judiciary autonomy.

    Ebong told reporters that it was either that some lawyers in the state were not properly guided about their demands or deliberately want to distort facts because of their conditions.

    “We know that lawyers have been out of courts for some time now but what we are asking for is just judiciary autonomy. That is all.

    “The N36 million is just promotion arrears for judiciary staff in the state, which has been on before 2015, that is not our priority.

    “Just allow the judiciary to control their budgetary votes as enshrined in the constitution and we are back at work.

    “We are not also happy that we have stayed longer than necessary in this strike but there is nothing we can do.

    “ I think the best thing lawyers in the state can do is to assist us secure this demand as it has been done in some other states,’’ Ebong said.

    It would be recalled that courts in the state have remained locked since Jan. 5.

  • Osun JUSUN suspends strike

    Osun JUSUN suspends strike

    The Osun State branch of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has suspended its five-month industrial action.

    This followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday by the Head of Service, Sunday Olayinka Owoeye, on behalf of the government and the State JUSUN Chairman, Comrade O. Oseni, the body called on its members to report to work today.

    According to the MoU, the practice of requiring the judiciary to process approvals through the executive arm of government would stop when there is complete financial autonomy for the judiciary.

    It was also agreed that necessary fund currently covering the overhead cost and Consolidated  Revenue Fund Charges (CRFC) will be released immediately and that no officer  of the union would be victimised.

  • Unpaid salary: JUSUN to freeze two states’ accounts

    THE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has begun moves to have the accounts of Plateau and Benue states frozen over alleged refusal to pay the salaries of court workers for five months.

    JUSUN’s President Marwan Adamu said this in a statement in Abuja yesterday.

    Adamu said the union’s lawyers have concluded plans to seek court orders to freeze the accounts of both states.

    He said such treatment would be extended to the 15 states, whose courts were still on strike, owing to the governors’ refusal to allow financial autonomy in the states’ Judiciary following the January 13, 2014, judgment of the Federal High Court.

    He listed the states as: Kaduna, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Cross River.

    Adamu, who blamed the governors for the prolonged strike, said the industrial action would have been suspended had the “governors done the needful to save the sector from further ridicule by enemies of democracy.”

    The JUSUN president, who hailed the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, for his success in the election, urged him to, on assuming office, treat the resolution of the crisis in the judiciary as a matter requiring utmost attention.

    He urged JUSUN members in the 15 states still on strike not to waver, but remain “resolute in the struggle to free the justice sector from the excruciating control of the governors.”

    Adamu, who urged well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and prevail on governors of the 15 identified states to comply with the subsisting court judgment, assured that his group would not succumb to any intimidation or blackmail.

  • Unpaid salary: JUSUN to freeze Plateau, Benue states’ accounts

    Unpaid salary: JUSUN to freeze Plateau, Benue states’ accounts

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has commenced move to have the accounts of Plateau and Benue states frozen over the state’s alleged refusal to pay the salaries of court workers for five months now.

    JUSUN’s President, Marwan Adamu disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja Thursday.

    Adamu said the union’s teams of lawyers have concluded plans to seek court’s orders to freeze the accounts of both states.

    He said such treatment will be extended to the 15 states, whose courts were still on strike owing to the governors’ refusal to allow financial autonomy for the states’ Judiciary as per the January 13, 2014 judgment of the Federal High Court.

    He identified the states to include: Kaduna, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Cross River.

    Adamu, who blamed the governors for the prolonged strike, said the industrial action would have been suspended before now had the “governors done the needful to save the sector from further ridicule by enemies of democracy.”

    The JUSUN President, who hailed President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari for his success in the election, urged him to, on assuming office, treat the resolution of the crisis in the Judiciary as a matter requiring utmost attention.

    He urged JUSUN members in the 15 states still on strike not to waver, but remain “resolute in the struggle to free the justice sector from the excruciating control of the governors.”

    Adamu, who urged well meaning Nigerians to intervene and prevail on governors of the 15 identified states to comply with the subsisting court judgment, assures that his group will not succumb to any intimidation or blackmail.