Financial autonomy: Lagos judicial workers to join nationwide strike tomorrow

In a communique made available to journalists in Lagos, the judicial workers said the nationwide strike is meant to compel the federal government and all state governments to obey an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja that had since called for financial autonomy and independence of the judiciary.The communique which was jointly issued by […]

In a communique made available to journalists in Lagos, the judicial workers said the nationwide strike is meant to compel the federal government and all state governments to obey an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja that had since called for financial autonomy and independence of the judiciary.
The communique which was jointly issued by the Lagos State JUSUN Chairman, E.O Abioye; Assistant General Secretary, Segun Agboola; and Bayo Gbose, Public Relations Officer, the union, has thus directed all its members to comply with the three-day warning strike which will last March 12 to14.
“The exco in session also wishes to intimate all staff that if the judgement debtors (federal and state governments) refuse to obey/implement/ comply with the judgement/order of the court, the union will commence an indefinite strike action on a date that will be communicated to all members by the National Executive Committee,” the statement read.
The national executive of JUSUN had resolved at a meeting it held in Ilorin, Kwara State to embark on the three-day warning strike. In a communique read by its National President, Marwan Mustapha Adamu, it  said the decision to go on strike was caused by what the union saw as the failure of government to pay funds accruable to the states’ judiciary in the Federation Account directly to the heads of courts.
The national JUSUN had insisted that a court order of January 13, 2014, declared the “piecemeal payment/allocations of funds through the state ministries of finance to the states’ judiciary as unconstitutional, unprocedural, cumbersome, null and void.”
The national body had further claimed that rather than implement the judgement, the judgment debtors – that is the Attorney General of the Federation – resorted to threatening the heads of courts and deducting salaries of union executives and members in their respective states. “The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria wishes to state clearly and unequivocally that the judgment/order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which is clear and unambiguous, and the financial autonomy and the independence of the judiciary is non-negotiable.  
“It is expected that from the date of the judgment/order of 13/1/2014, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Accountants General of states of the federation, the Auditor General of the Federation and states and the executive governors of states, who are already served with the court order, should have completed the process of transferring/handing over all necessary accounting materials affecting the judiciary of the states to the heads of courts in accordance with the judgment,” the statement of national JUSUN read.  
“It is further expected that the preparation of vouchers, issuance of cheques for salaries and allowances of the judiciary staff by the Accountants General of states should have stopped forthwith,” the union said.