By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
An end to the ongoing nationwide strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) may not be soon as the leadership of the union has vowed to continue until full implementation of the constitutional provision of judiciary autonomy.
The striking workers insisted that except the Accountant General of the Federation commenced the deduction from source this month [May] of the budgetary allocation submitted to the office by the 36 states’ judiciaries in October 2020, the strike would continue.
JUSUN took the stance after reviewing the recommendations of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on how to end the strike over financial autonomy for the judiciary.
The NGF had presented its recommendations at a stakeholders meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment last week Thursday, which was adjourned till May 11 to enable JUSUN and members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) consider them and report back.
JUSUN’s position to continue the strike until the Federal Government commences deduction this month, formed part of the resolutions reached at its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held last Saturday to consider the NGF’s recommendations.
Members of JUSUN’s NWC, at the meeting, frowned at some of the recommendations by the NGF, which they said was not consistent with the resolution arrived at during an earlier meeting of stakeholders with the Chief of Staff to the President.
The various resolutions reached at the JUSUN’s NWC, which was the union’s response to the NGF’s recommendations, formed the Judiciary workers’ position, which they submitted to the Labour and Employment Minister at the last stakeholders’ meeting on May 11.
In the resolution, members of JUSUN’s NWC “agreed that the Accountant-General of the Federation shall deduct from source from the Federation Account, the budgetary allocation submitted to him by the 36 States Judiciaries in October 2020 and pay same directly to the National Judicial Council (NJC} from which the Heads of Courts of the 36 states will be paid, failure therefore, the strike continues.
“NWC-in-session further agreed that the deduction be effected in May 2021 FAAC and with arrears from October 2020 inclusive.”
