BEVERLY HILLS, April 22, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has concluded plans, to relax the ongoing nationwide indefinite strike action.
But, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, faulted the planned downscaling of the strike, saying, “This is totally unacceptable, for Lagos State JUSUN. It is either you are on strike or you are not.”
JUSUN had declared an indefinite nationwide strike on April 6, 2021 to demand autonomy for the Judiciary.
Findings by THEWILL revealed that the Lagos JUSUN, reached an agreement to write to the association’s national body requesting permission to partially resume work.
The reason behind the measure, according to multiple sources, is that the Lagos State Judiciary had enjoyed a higher level of financial autonomy compared to other states in the Federation.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of JUSUN Lagos State Chapter, Asiwaju Sobowale Kehinde, in a statement said, the proposal was subject to final approval by the JUSUN National Secretariat in Abuja.
Part of the statement read: “We had many interactions on strike situations with other presidents of state, especially from the Southwest, Southeast and South-South.
“Lagos JUSUN learned that only the Lagos State Government had shown concern and seriousness with attentive ears to this JUSUN fight.
“At this time, Lagos JUSUN has had four meetings with a powerful government official, especially the Governor himself.
“From my position and privileges as President of JUSUN, Lagos, we are truly fortunate. Even the national leadership has not made significant progress as Lagos JUSUN is doing at this time.
“Our ancillary demands are quickly scrutinized and the results manifest. Although there is a national agitation for financial autonomy, this will be achieved at the national level and all states will benefit from it.
“Our Union had the best assurances directly from the Governor and the Chief Judge of the State of Lagos on the improvement of social benefits for the personnel who had eluded us since 2014.
“While showing commitment today (April 20) with the delivery of two new buses to the Judiciary, while in the Legislative Assembly only one bus was delivered despite the fact that both arms of the Government were currently on strike.
“It is impossible for a state branch to suspend a national strike, so the JUSUN strike is ongoing in Lagos State.
“But due to the great respect and honor that the judicial staff of the State of Lagos have for the Governor and the Chief Judge of the State of Lagos, our only wish is to relax the strike rules to allow the elimination of delays, reading of sentences and decongestion of the covid pandemic prison and EndSARS protest.
“Therefore, official work and duties are restricted to Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays of each week, while Monday and Tuesday of each week are still our strike days in which all personnel must remain off duty. to observe the national strike.
“The Union will review progress on both the left and right to make informed decisions as the event unfolds.
“Please let it be known that the Lagos State Judicial General Staff is still on strike, but was magnanimous in putting the Lagos Judicial Branch and the Lagos State Government first in our time of strength.
“All court doors in Lagos State will be partially open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only.”
However, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, took exception to the planned partial suspension of strike by the Lagos JUSUN.
He described the move as unacceptable, saying that the Federal Government complied with financial autonomy more than Lagos State.
Adegboruwa said, “This purported partial call off of the strike action by Lagos JUSUN is absolutely unacceptable. From my records, the Federal Government is in compliance with financial autonomy even more than Lagos State, yet federal workers are on solidarity strike.
“I ask JUSUN, who is collecting revenue for the courts in Lagos State, is it not Alpha Beta? Who buys vehicles for judges and staff, is it not the Executive? Why do we deceive ourselves?
“Personally, I’m concerned that the government of Lagos State is doing so much to abort the strike action, in the same fashion that it succeeded in dividing the NBA into executive sessions in State House Marina, instead of mass action.”
About the Author
