Nigerian judiciary threatens strike

News credit: Today internet newspaper: The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has announced that the union will commence on an indefinite strike action from January 2, 2015. According to the union, this is due to the failure of stakeholders to respect the last memorandum of understanding regarding financial autonomy of the Judiciary. After an emergency meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC), in Abuja, the union explained that the strike became imperative, considering the “rough terrain encountered by the union to make the governors implement the judgment of Federal High Court delivered on 13th January, 2014 but fall on deaf ears.” According to Daily Post, JUSUN, in a communique jointly signed by the union President, comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu and Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Placidus Nnamani, stated that it is obvious that the state Governors were deliberately disobeying and frustrating the independence of the Judiciary. JUSUN said their action amounts to a level of “insincerity and insensitive” of the Governors and the insecurity in the process of democratic principles as they have conspired not to allow a constitutional guaranteed and provided partner to exercise its due rights.’

JUSUN accused the Accountant General of the Federation of compromising his position and authority imposed on him by the court order. The union had suspended its previously intended strike following the last Memorandum of understanding supervised by the Minister of Labour reached on 27th November, 2014. JUSUN warned that “the indefinite strike shall commence from 2nd day of January 2015, until the total compliance with the judgment of the Court, and the terms contained in the Memorandum of understanding”, adding the union will not take responsibility of any mishap as a result of the breach. Some of the efforts of the union includes securing a Court judgment in a suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/66/2013, JUSUN vs National Judicial Council and 73 others, serving of the said judgment on the debtors, the Federal Accountant General, State Accountants general and state auditor general for compliance and until the statutory period of appeal, and now none of the judgment debtors or the parties served with the Court order have appealed against it.

JUSUN, however said, ”we think, it is time to free the Judiciary from the captives, strangulations and imprisonments by the state governors.”