By Kayode Adeoti, Ilorin
The Kwara State branch of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), today, joined the national strike to press for the actualization of judicial autonomy.
There were traffic jams around the State’s judicial complex as JUSUN officials were seen blocking all entries to the court, in a way to enforce the industrial action.
Chairman of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Sambo, while speaking with our Correspondent, said President Muhammadu Buhari has passed into law, the financial Judiciary autonomy bill but state governments at all levels have failed to implement it.
“What’s happening now is the quest to have true judicial autonomy, the president has approved, in the executive order number 10, stating that autonomy should be given to state judiciaries. But ever since this order was given, nothing changes. We believe if we embark on industrial action, the government will listen to us,” he said.
Barrister Tunde Gegele, among several other legal practitioners who were denied entrance into magistrate courts expressed his annoyance over the development saying government should endeavor to do the needful so that the judiciary can really represent the true nature of the last hope of the common man.
“The timing is very wrong, we are supposed resume today after the Easter holiday, we all come here to work but everyone is been locked out including the judges. The issue of judicial autonomy is not just coming, by now, it ought to have been resolved.
“The problem is that, judiciary always goes begging before the executive, that makes them dependent on the whips and caprices of the executive. And as long as these continue to happen, we cannot guarantee the independence of the Judiciary. We believe the judiciary deserves to be well treated to really function as the last hope of the common man.”
Former secretary of the Ilorin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Barrister Sulyman Abaya corroborated his colleague saying action taken by the judicial staff is in order to enforce what is in the constitution.
“The strike embarked upon by the union is an affirmation of the Federal High Court, Abuja’s judgement, made on January 14, 2014 to the effect that judicial autonomy and confirmation of section 121 sub(3) of the 1999 constitution must be upheld.
“A notice was given on the April 1st, that the strike will commence on the 6th. The problem is coming from the executive arm of the government because the constitution has given all the three arms independent and judiciary is no exception.
“On 20th of May, 2020, executive order number 10 was signed by the president to the effect that financial autonomy will be the first line of charge and money will be sent directly to the state executives. The state executives have challenged the order in a bid to subvert the will of the constitution.
“Section 121 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended, is very clear, it doesn’t need any interpretation. The state governors have ensured that this money doesn’t come directly to the heads of the judiciary. This now compound the already bad state, the federal government has put the judiciary,” he said.
Abaya urged the government to consider inmates who are standing trial in court, saying many of them have pending bail applications courts.
He further added that the government should respect the law and do the needful in order to ensure that democracy is practiced in it truism.
“I feel that the judiciary staff are doing the right thing to ensure compliance with the constitution of Nigeria and with the stakeholder. But in any strike action, it is the people that will bear the brunt, many people are in prisons, applications in courts for enforcement of the right and also for contracts.
“The strike action is a set back to the provision of the constitution itself as it affects the lives of generality of Nigerians. I want to align with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), we are coming from the wake of Covid-19 pandemic and we don’t need this.
“Doctors and paramedics are on strike, though we agree, in a normal democratic setting, there are rights to go on strike, but to whom this right is targeted which is the executive, they must see reason with the concern bodies and listen to their yearnings.
“In this present government of President Muhammadu Buhari, all the demand is falling on deaf ears, we wish this one doesn’t follow suit,” he stressed.
