From Al-Sirajdeen  Alhameed Minna//:

The chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Minna branch, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar El- surur has observed that the ongoing nationwide industrial action embarked by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN is not in the interest of Nigerians.

He said the union should consider the rate of poverty that is currently ravaging the entire citizens of the country, noting that in the interim, the chairman appeal to the striking workers to have a rethink.

The national leadership of the Judiciary staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN through its National President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha has directed all members of the Union across the country to embark on an indefinite industrial action to press home full financial autonomy for the Judiciary across the country.

The JUSUN had dragged the 36 state governors and their respective Attorney General and Commissioners to a Federal High court in Abuja some times in 2013, and the union obtained a verdict against the plaintiffs in a land mark judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Adeniyi.

After obtaining the verdict, the plaintiff refused to comply with the judgement, since then the union has been prevailing on the state governors and the states Attorney General to comply with the court judgement to no avail.

Several attempt by the union in both at the National and the state to compelled the governors to comply with the judgement has not yielded the needful result, hence they embarked on indefinite industrial action to press home the demand of full implementation of the financial autonomy of the Judiciary as the third arm of government as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended.

In an interview with Journalists in his office in Minna, the Niger state capital, the NBA state chairman, Mohammed Abubakar El-surur observed that the unions are exercising their constitutional right as enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria, but they should be considerate in their demand.

According to the NBA chairman, the Judiciary workers should put the interest of the common man at heart in their demands, noting that the insecurity and the increasing level of suffering of the people in Niger state and Nigeria at large should be a source of concern to the union.

He noted that the demand for financial autonomy for judiciary is their constitutional rights but the present security situation bedeviling the state as a result of armed banditry cattle rustlers, among other insecurity should be a concern to all.

“Yes, it is the right of the Judiciary workers to press home for their demands. In my own opinion, the industrial action at this period that some part of Niger State are facing security challenges is not the proper time for them. When farmers cannot go to their farm.Some of these farmers have been sacked by armed bandits, villagers can no longer stay in their villages. 

“Let me tell you, if there is any protest against the security challenges today, I will not only join them but I will personally lead that protest. Like I said, it is their constitutional rights to demand for the financial autonomy for the Judiciary, but the  judiciary workers should be considerate with the plight of the common man that are suffering in the hands of armed bandits in some part of the state” he appealed.

The Niger State Council of the JUSUN, under the leadership of Barrister Mahmud Ameen Muye in compliance with the National Secretariat of the union directed its members across the country to embark on indefinite industrial action, on Tuesday, 7^th April, 2021. Court activities in the state were paralised.

“At the state judiciary complex, union members were seen turning back lawyers and some litigants, who were in the court for one transaction and the other, were taken by surprise when they noticed that the entrance to the court was under lock and key.

However the strike action has taken it’s ugly turn as the inmates  on awaiting trial at the Correctional facilities across the state were now at the receiving end of the industrial action as their fate of bringing them to court for trial is still hanging.

The NBA Chairman however, appealed to the striking workers of the Judiciary to for the interest of the inmates on awaiting trial to call off the industrial action.