The Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) says the nationwide strike will not be call off until a concrete resolution is reached on financial autonomy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that tomorrow, Thursday, the strike will be a month.
JUSUN had began a nationwide strike on Tuesday, April 6, when the union directed all its members across the federation to shut down all courts after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum earlier given over the failure of the government to implement the law.
The Deputy President of the workers’ union, Emmanuel Abioye, in a telephone interview with NAN, on Wednesday, stated that the governors must do the needful before the strike would be suspended.
“This strike has generated a lot of public interest. As a matter of fact, some other associations have shown interest.
“The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has shown interest, and there is no way we can do anything without working in synergy with the NBA.
“The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has signified interested as well and there is nothing we can do now without a synergy with the NLC.
“So it is already in the public domain, even people are calling us to say that if we should suspend the strike without achieving tangible result, we have disappointed them, how much more our members.
“So without achieving our aim, if the promise that had been made by the governors failed, it will be unreasonable for us to go back.
“This demand is a provision of the law and democracy can only strive when there is rule of law. So everyone must follow the rule of law.
“People that are saddled with the responsibility must do the needful before we can suspend the strike,” Abioye said.
The union leader said though the governors, through their forum Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi, pledged that the demand would be implemented by this month, the workers would not believe until it was fulfilled.
“The development with the governor is not very clear except for the statement that was made by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
“It is in the public domain that he said that they are going to begin the implementation of the financial autonomy for the judiciary by this month, May.
“We took that promise with a pinch of salt. Because the truth of the matter is that before now, we have been receiving promises which some have even tagged to be political statements.
“The reality is that since January 13, 2014, we got the judgment which ought to have been executed since that time, in addition to make clear the provision of the constitution that the autonomy should be given to the state judiciaries in line with Section 121 (3), Section 81 (3) and Section 162(9).
“So since that time up till now; we went on strike 2015, nothing was done. All these promises upon promises revealed to us that the governors are not ready to do anything.
“Except it is done, all these promises will be taken with a pinch of salt,” he restated.
Abioye, who called on all JUSUN members not to be weary as the strike continues, urged them to remain patient until the victory was achieved.
“We are working round the clock. As leaders in this struggle, we have sacrificed a lot of things.
“Our members should just hold on and endure the more because it takes endurance to achieve what we need to achieve; nothing comes easy, especially in Nigeria.
“Although the system ought to be allowed to work, unfortunately, we have found ourselves in this situation.
“We plead with them to exercise some patience. It is not our joy that people should stay at home without working.
“Very soon, by the grace of God, we shall sing a victory song,” he said.
(NAN)
