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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has resolved to suspend its over two-month strike effective from Monday.
The decision was taken at the National Executive Council (NEC) which ended in Abuja, yesterday.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at a meeting with JUSUN leaders on Tuesday, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad in attendance, urged the striking court workers to put an end to the industrial action in the interest of the country and the suffering court users.
Deputy President of JUSUN, Mr Emmanuel Abisoye, who spoke shortly after the meeting said the union was prevailed upon by the leadership of the NJC to suspend the strike.
At press time, communiqué of the meeting was being put together to formally declare the strike ended.
With the development, courts in the country which had remained shut during the strike will now reopen.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has earlier approached the CJN to seek his intervention in the matter.
“Upon being briefed by the Minister on the negotiation level so far, the CJN then requested the JUSUN to call off the strike in the interest of the nation and the larger interest of justice.
“The CJN added that it would also allow opportunity for further negations towards the resolution of the dispute.
“Besides, the CJN observed that some of the issues in contention are already sub judice, as such there is need to give requisite legal process enough opportunity to be exhausted”, Isah stated shortly after Justice Muhammad’s meeting with the Labour Minister.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 22, 2020, signed into law, an Executive Order that granted financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states of the federation.
The order equally mandated the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from source, any amount due to state legislatures and judiciaries from the monthly allocation to each state, for states that refuse to comply with the Executive Order.
However, following the failure of most state governors to comply with the order, JUSUN, embarked on the strike action to demand full financial autonomy for the judiciary.
The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, equally threw its weight behind JUSUN’s action, even as lawyers staged peaceful protests across the federation.
