The Judiciary workers in Ondo State under the aegis of the
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have this week
called off their four month old strike, an executive member of
the union exclusively told SaharaReporters on Monday.
The member who requested not to be named told the
SaharaReporters correspondent in Akure, the State capital,
that the executive members of the union had already met and
discussed with the representatives of the State government
over the strike.
He disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is
being prepared between the union and the State government
for the strike to be resolved, adding that a financial autonomy
has already been approved for the union.
“The matter has been permanently resolved that I can
authoritatively inform you that members of the Judiciary Union
Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Ondo State would this week
call off their strike.
“A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has already been
prepared between the union and the State government for
legal activities to resume back to the various courts in the
State.
“The State government hopefully would be granting financial
autonomy to the judiciary in the State because this is what
we have been looking for, and I can tell you that the lawyers
in the state are very much happy about this”, he said.
He added that, “If financial autonomy is not granted to the
judiciary, it means that the judiciary will always be in the
hands of the executive government of any State”.
The executive member disclosed how the union went through
tough and thick times with the State government before an
agreement could be finally reached stressing that lawyers in
the state would be happy about the development.
“The strike, though, is a national calamity and a pathetic
situation which is least expected to this stage. But, we thank
God our aim was finally achieved for the strike to be call off.
“Truly, this is what we have been waiting for, and I believe
lawyers in the State would be happy about this development.
We have always let our people know that the judiciary is one
of the powerful arms of government in any country and it
should never be taken for granted”.
The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Eyitayo Jegede had earlier confirmed that the state
government had met with executive members of the union
over their demands.
He revealed that within the couple of days, the strike would
be call off and all courts in the state would be open back for
litigations after months of locked up.
“All issues raised by the Judiciary Staff Union is being
addressed and am hopeful that with their cooperation the
strike would be call off while our courts would be open for
litigations again”, he said.
The union had been on strike since the 5th of January this
year over grants for financial autonomy for the judiciary
workers in the State.
Also, the strike action had crippled activities in the law courts
with many people bundle in prison custody and innocent
citizens arrested unlawfully by the police in the State.