High Court Workers Threaten Indefinite Strike Over Lack Of Independent Judiciary

 

Following the failure of several states to adopt legislation affording financial autonomy to the judiciary, court workers under the umbrella of the Nigerian Judiciary Staff Union have threatened to go on indefinite strike. According to them, only eight of the 36 states have passed the bill.

"If they refuse to do what is required, the idea is to go on strike when they are most in need of us, which is before the elections," JUSUN Treasurer Jimoh Musa told The PUNCH on Sunday.

The PUNCH reports that JUSUN had in April 2021 embarked on a nationwide strike that lasted over two months in its push for the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary in the 36 states.

The union’s National Executive Committee on June 9, 2021, suspended the strike, citing the intervention of the National Judicial Council and other stakeholders.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had last year signed Executive Order 10 for the enforcement of the constitutional provision of financial autonomy for judiciary at the state level.

But the 36 state governors kicked against the Executive Order.

However, in May, the governors and JUSUN signed a Memorandum of Action for the full implementation of financial autonomy.

The PUNCH learnt that about nine months after the strike was suspended, many governors have yet to grant full financial autonomy to the judiciary in their states.