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Tag: JUSUN

  • JUSUN: our strike’ll continue

    JUSUN: our strike’ll continue

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), South South zone, has said its strike in Rivers State will continue, until a resolution is reached by all parties.

    This position was contained in a communiqué by the National Vice President, Comrade Victor Ekpela and State Secretary Uyi Ogieriahi.

    “The zone supports the  strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Rivers State and urges the workers to continue as the national secretariat has taken over the issue.

    “We’ll return when the workers are satisfied on who is the head of the State Judiciary.

    “The zone condemns the attempt by some persons to stop the strike.

    “We will resist any such attempt and advise that measures are taken by stakeholders to see that all issues and the strike is resolved.”

  • Judiciary staff union threatens strike over financial autonomy

    Judiciary staff union threatens strike over financial autonomy

    THE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Southwest zone, has expressed its dissatisfaction over its lack of financial autonomy.

    Failure to address this anomaly, the union says, would compel it to embark on an indefinite strike.

    Deputy President of the union, Prince Samuel Adesina Adesanya, made this known on Friday at a press conference organised at the premises of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The union further urged the government to put an end to the delay in the allocation and release of funds to the judicial arm of government through the National Judiciary Commission (NJC).

    Adesanya maintained that the judicial arm of government should not be treated as a civil service system, as the state government does not employ nor pay their salary.

    While warning that the judiciary should not be treated as an extension of executive arm of government, he linked the alleged corruption in the judiciary to the lack of financial autonomy which deprives its staff of enjoying some benefits like official cars, good offices and other incentives.

    He disclosed that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled on January 13, 2014 that the state government must ensure the financial autonomy for the state judiciary, adding that it was against this backdrop that a memorandum of understanding was signed on August 30, 2014 between the union and the government.

     

  • JUSUN threatens fresh national strike

    JUSUN threatens fresh national strike

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has accused the Federal Government of breaching the agreement it signed with the union which led to the suspension of its recent strike.

    The union threatened to resume the strike without any notice.

    In a statement at the weekend in Abuja, JUSUN alleged that the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Forum of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) commissioners refused to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they signed with the union.

    It said this was the reason it recently suspended its strike.

    JUSUN also accused the government of not respecting the provision of the constitution on the financial autonomy of the Judiciary by making it a first line charge, as directed by the court.

    The statement by is National President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, said the union had summoned an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) next Saturday.

    It said the meeting would deliberate on the issue and ensure that the rule of law is respected.

    The statement said it was unfortunate that despite the MoU by all stakeholders, which led to the suspension of the strike, the government has said it lacked the resources to meet the union’s demand.

  • Courts to resume operations Monday

    Courts to resume operations Monday

    •As JUSUN suspends three-week old strike
    •Rivers not included

    Courts across the nation are expected to resume operations tomorrow after judicial workers under the aegis of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) called off their three week industrial action at the weekend.

    JUSUN decided to suspend the strike following a meeting between the union’s leaders and Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu, and other stakeholders in the nation’s justice sector.

    The judicial workers embarked on strike to compel government to obey the January 13 judgment given in a suit by JUSUN by justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Justice Ademola had, in the judgment, held among others that it was unconstitutional for the Executive to withhold or release in piecemeal, funds standing to the credit of the Judiciary in the Federation Account and Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    The Judge directed that such funds should be paid directly to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for onward disbursement to heads of courts in the case of federal Judiciary and heads of courts in the case of states’ Judiciary as required under sections 81(3), 121(3) and 162(9) of the Constitution.

    The Nation learnt that government agreed to meet JUSUN’s demand in 45 days.

    Those at the meetings included the Labour and Productivity Minister, representatives of the state commissioners of finance and state Accountants-General, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the National Judicial Council.

    Others were the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali (SAN), and the representatives of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

    It was, however, learnt that courts in Rivers State would remain closed as court workers in the state, whose strike began before the called by JUSUN, have been directed to remain at home.

    JUSUN’s President, Marwan Adamu told The Nation in an interview that the strike in Rivers State was different from the nationwide strike JUSUN called over the refusal of the Executive to obey the January 13 judgment.

     

     

     

  • NBA urges govt to dialogue with Judiciary workers

    NBA urges govt to dialogue with Judiciary workers

    THe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with the Judiciary workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), to avoid the collapse of justice system.

    NBA Ikeja branch chairman Mr. Yinka Farounbi said there would be anarchy, if nothing is done immediately to avert the collapse of the justice system because of JUSUN’s plan to call out Federal High Courts’ workers for a solidarity strike.

    The union leader said it would be wrong if the government feels unconcerned about the developments in the Judiciary. He said this calls for urgent attention and resolution.

    The judicial workers’ strike is meant to enforce a Federal High Court judgment, which granted financial autonomy to the Judiciary and in solidarity with the Rivers State judicial workers, who have been protesting the presence of two headship of the Judiciary in the state.

    Farounbi said: “I think government should sit down with the association, dialogue with its leaders, look at their demands and concede to them what they can concede. The ones that have to be negotiated should be negotiated. In the process, there would be a compromise. There would be no winner, no loser.

    “The JUSUN cannot have everything it wants, and the government cannot fold its arms and feel unconcerned. Let them sit at a roundtable and agree on the fundamentals to ensure that the courts become functional again.”

     

     

  • Judicial workers to meet today over strike

    Judicial workers to meet today over strike

    Striking judicial workers are expected to meet today in Abuja to evaluate the effect of their action and consider whether or not to end it.

    President of the workers’ body – Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) – Marwan Adamu said yesterday the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) will meet today to decide on the strike.

    Adamu said he could not predict the outcome of the meeting.

    The judicial workers began the strike on July 11 in state High Courts.

    Workers of Federal courts, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, Sharia Court of Appeal and Customary Court of Appeal, joined on July 17.

    The workers are protesting what they called the refusal of governors to obey a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which granted fiscal autonomy to the Judiciary.

     

     

    They argued that the Executive, particularly at the state level, was reluctant to comply with the judgment.

    Adamu said JUSUN’s leaders met yesterday on the outcome of meetings they had with some representatives of the Executive. He said a formal decision would be taken at today’s meeting at 11am.

     

     

     

  • Strike: Lawyers, doctors call for quick resolution

    •As patients in government hospitals seek medical care elsewhere 

    Lawyers practicing in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, have called on both the federal government and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to quickly address and resolve issues surrounding the ongoing strike embarked by the union.

    Some lawyers who spoke to our correspondent in Aba  yesterday described the strike as one that is having a negative effects on their practice since it started.

    They expressed fear that if issues surrounding the strike were not addressed promptly, it would mean a prolonged process for people who would want to seek redress in court, adding that it is devastating and a denial of justice to the citizenry that needed it.

    An Aba, based lawyer, Olusegun Bamgbose, said, “Actually, it is very, very unfortunate and pathetic that at a crucial time like this, such a thing is happening. I feel for those who are in custody who are supposed to be released today and the way I am seeing it, it could be a prolonged strike. So, it’s quiet unfortunate and we expect the federal government to do something urgent to bring back the judiciary staff to start work immediately.”

    Director of Information, Abia State High Court, Mr. Friday Ikpeoha, in a telephone interview, explained that they embarked on the strike in compliance with the directives of the national body.

    Ikpeoha, calling on the public to exercise patience, stated: “the strike  is in favour of the masses. It will favour the masses because it is to compel the federal government to obey the order to grant financial autonomy to judicial system at all levels, including the state. There was a court order asking the state government to grant autonomy to the state judiciary, so if that autonomy is granted, it will ensure financial independence of the state judiciary and that will make the judiciary to serve the people without fear or favour.”

    In a related development, Abia State chapter chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Uwa Onwuchekwa, has called on the public and patients at various government hospitals in Aba and the state that needed medical services to exercise patient with the medical professionals.

    Onwuchekwa in an interview yesterday said, “We hope very soon that the strike should be over, if government does what they should do. This strike is needless. We are on strike because the government is trying to cause anarchy by giving privileges which ordinarily belonged to doctors.”

    However, a visit to various government hospitals in Aba, including the Abia State Teaching Hospital, showed that only skeletal medical services were being rendered, while an unconfirmed report had it that patients on admission were leaving in droves to private clinics allegedly owned by some of the medical practitioners working in the government hospitals.

     

     

     

    Some residents who spoke to our correspondent are calling on the federal government and NMA to resolve the disagreement that led to the strike, adding that the strike was to the detriment of patients as they alleged that private clinics are using the opportunity to charge exorbitantly for the service that would have been gotten in government hospitals at a much lower rate.

     

  • Strike: Lawyer seeks Jonathan’s intervention

    Strike: Lawyer seeks Jonathan’s intervention

    Akure based lawyer,Charles Titiloye Thursday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Justice of Nigeria,(CJN) Justice Aloma Muktar JSC to immediately address the closure of Courts in Nigeria.

    The activist charged him to resolve all lingering crisis in the nation Judiciary.

    According to him, there could never be a good democratic governance without an articulate and independent Judiciary.

    Speaking with ‘The Nation’ against the backdrop of the ongoing Judiciary Workers strike which has shut down the nation Court,Titiloye alluded to Ondo state where lawyers have boycotted Court for almost two months over a circular from Chief Judge CJ,Olaseinde Kumuyi directing production of executive tax Clearance by sureties as a compulsory bail condition.

    He said “a responsive government will not fold its hands and watch the Judiciary which is the only means to resolve disputes shut down indefinitely due to resolvable issues.”

    The lawyer noted that the request of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to financial autonomy is justified in view of the unchallenged Judgment of the Federal High Court granting financial autonomy to Courts.

    He noted that lack of financial autonomy for the Judiciary has turned Judges to politicians ready to do anything for the executive in order to get fund.

    The activist also queried partisan involvement of Judges in the affairs and policies of the executive arm of government.

    “How can we explain a situation where Judges solicit for tax clearance by using the Courts proceedings to generate revenue for the executive arm even at the expense of the citizen fundamental Human rights to liberty?

    “Is our Court still for both the rich and poor? How can we explain the relocation of Courts to private building of a businessman in Ondo state because of lack of fund to build Courts?

    How long will our judges be held captive by an overbearing executive arm because the fund for the running of their Courts depends on the pleasure of a governor or President? Titiloye queried.

    He lamented that the common men who look up to the Court as their last hope are calling upon President Jonathan to act now to restore the independence and integrity of our Court already compromised by lack of financial autonomy for the Judiciary.

    According to him, the prolong strike by JUSUN would adversely affect the rights of citizen to speedy trial as many people are now languishing in Prison without trial.

    He called on CJN to act now in the interest of our Judiciary and common Nigerian.

  • Workers protest cut of N91b from judicial budget

    Workers protest cut of N91b from judicial budget

    THE Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) yesterday described the reduction of N91billion from the 2014 Appropriation Bill of the Judiciary as a ploy to underfund the arm and turn it into a toothless dog.

    It accused the executive arm of moving to weaken the judiciary that has vowed to improve the justice system in the country.

    JUSUN’s President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha, in a statement, said the cut portends grave dangers ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    The statement reads: “JUSUN calls on Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economic, Dr. Ngozi Nkonjo Iweala and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu to listen to the voice of reasoning by addressing the monumental reduction of budget of the judiciary from N159.8 billion to N68billion.

    “We also want to state that the continued non-compliance with the recent court order of the Federal High Court, Abuja as delivered on 13th January 2014 regarding sections 81(3), 121(3) and 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), by the relevant institutions, will spell doom and the union would not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony in the sector.

    “The union notes that its peaceful disposition to dialogue should not be taken for weakness as the union recently suspended its planned three days warning strike, following an understanding with Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu.

    “JUSUN appealed to well meaning Nigerians including, the traditional rulers to prevail on the Federal Government, with a view to saving the Justice system in Nigeria”.

     

  • Laudable judgment

    Laudable judgment

    • FG should comply with judgment on fiscal autonomy for judiciary

    The recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ruled in favour of fiscal autonomy for the judiciary, is in tandem with the provision of the 1999 constitution. The judgment was delivered in a suit brought by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). In his judgment, Justice Ademola Adeniyi ordered that the funds in the revenue account of the federation, due to the judiciary, should be paid to the heads of court, as envisaged by section 81(3) of the 1999 constitution. We add that other funds due to important organs of state, like the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), should also be paid directly to them.

    It is absolutely in the common interest of our democracy that the provisions and intent of our constitution should be manifestly obeyed. A situation where the executive, with the connivance of the legislature, abuse the rights and prerogatives of the judiciary with respect to their constitutionally guaranteed independence must stop. Unfortunately, this flagrant abuse of our constitution is experienced at the federal and state levels of government. At the state, most governors view the judiciary as an appendage of their executive powers, and sometimes treat the courts as mere irritants. This too must stop.

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the senior lawyers, who have thrown their weight in favour of the ruling of the court, must walk their talk. They can do this by defending the judgment if appealed against, up to the Supreme Court. We also urge the courts not to shy away from asserting their constitutionally guaranteed independence. The heads of courts must stand up to the abuse from the executive, and insist that monies approved in the budget for them, should be released in tandem with the country’s constitution.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and the states’ attorney-generals must also show interest in this matter. After all, they were first admitted as lawyers before they were appointed as attorney generals by the executive authority; so they have a responsibility to espouse the provisions of the constitution and vehemently defend it. Part of their responsibility to the profession should include standing up for the rule of law and defending the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Indeed, the constitution expressly regards attorney-generals as the Chief Law Officers, and it is only fair to live up their titles.

    It is also expected that a financially autonomous judiciary will rise up to defend her integrity, by being uncompromisingly independent in its judgments. As Nigerians witnessed in recent past, there has been accusations of corrupt influence, within the judiciary; especially with respect to judgments on electoral matters. Our hope, and we believe that of many Nigerians, is that if the judiciary exercises its financial independence, it would be less influenced by the executive, and its judgments will help heal our political process.

    For financial autonomy to be really meaningful, the judiciary must also purge itself of corruption, both of the judicial process and fund management. After all, financial autonomy would mean that the judges and other judicial workers will be better paid, and unless that transforms to comprehensive integrity of the whole process; then it will be of little value.

    Again, financial autonomy should come with prudent management of resources by the heads of the court; as it would be tragic if the heads see such a development as opportunity to help themselves to the commonwealth of their constituency, as we see in the executive and legislative arms. In all, it is heart-warming that JUSUN has prodded a match to constitutionalism.