The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has directed its members across Nigeria to shut down all courts in the country with exception of Federal courts beginning on Friday, for failure to implement the Judgment of Federal High Court on the financial autonomy of the state judiciaries.
In a communiqué issued at the end of emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the union on Thursday, Federal judiciary workers were urged to be alert, because directives for them to join in solidarity strike may be issued by the National secretariat at any time.
The communiqué which was jointly signed by the National President of the union, comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu and the General Secretary, Comrade Isaiah Adetola also disclosed that the national secretariat of the union is looking into the industrial dispute embarked upon by the River State JUSUN over leadership crisis.
JUSUN further described as “unfair” for both the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to issued two separate directives for and against returning to work, adding that the workers cannot serve two masters.
Adetola and Adamu also said the union cannot resume work unless the critical stakeholders in Rivers state amicably resolve the matter so as to ensure security of the workers.
According to the communiqué, “the security and protection of our members is no longer guaranteed in this leadership crisis that has engulfed the Rivers State Judiciary in the last one year”.
An excerpt from the communiqué reads:
After the exhaustive deliberation on the refusal/failure of state Governments to respect/implement the Federal High Court Abuja, judgment /orders in respect of financial autonomy of state Judiciaries as well as failure of stakeholders to abide by the decision to set up a technical implementation committee of the FAAC meeting of 17th June 2014, it is resolved by NEC as follows:
- 1. That all Judiciary staff at state level nationwide should proceed on an indefinite strike with effect from Friday 11th July 2014.
- 2. That the National secretariat of the union shall notify Federal Judiciary workers to join the action as events unfolds.
- 3. That the National Executive Committee of the union after a review of events in Rivers state Judiciary also resolved that JUSUN members in the state should continue and sustain their current strike until the major stakeholders, fine an amicable resolution of the leadership crisis in Rivers state judiciary. Meanwhile the NEC in session has announced total takeover of action in River state.
