Anambra Judicial workers dare Obiano, resumes suspended 4-month-old strike

www.odogwublog.com reports that unless something happens before Monday morning, the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Anambra chapter, will resume its suspended four-month-old strike.

This is because the Governor Willie Obiano led administration has not honoured the agreement reached with JUSUN Anambra as at close of work on Friday.

The Chief Registrar of the state Judiciary, Mrs Doris Ezeani confirmed they have received notice from JUSUN that the courts would be closed on Monday if at the close of work Friday nothing was heard from government.

Ezeani said the state Judiciary cannot intervene in stopping JUSUN now as it entered agreement and signed a MOU with the state Government and government team led by Deputy Governor , Dr Nkem Okeke on 20th March this year and today is 22nd May, 2015 even when end of April was deadline.

She said further that the strike is about financial autonomy and in complianace of the Federal High court judgment to that effect, adding that because of Budget 2015 already in progress Anambra JUSUN is not demanding for CONJUS consolidated salary as other states to avoid over shooting the budget.

 State Chairman of the union, Mark Ifezue had announced the suspension of the strike last two weeks Tuesday following an agreement reached between the union and the state government to implement the judgment of January 14, 2014.

www.odogwublog.com  reports that activities of the Nigerian courts were paralyzed from January 5, 2015, when members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) began their nationwide industrial strike which shut down courts' services across the country.

This was to compel the executive to comply with the Federal High Court judgment on the financial autonomy for the judiciary as clearly provided for under Section I62 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

An Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, on January 14, 2014, declared as illegal, the practice whereby statutory allocations were handed to the judiciary through the Ministries of Finance and the National Judicial Council (NJC).

"This is in contravention to the clear provision of Section I62 of the Constitution which provides that statutory allocations must be handed over to the judicial arm of government directly," the court declared.
This declaration which effectively granted fiscal autonomy to the third arm of government and protects it from undue influence by the executive, was hailed by many Nigerians, especially lawyers as laudable judgment.
Since the court declaration, JUSUN recalls its members from strike only in states that comply with the court order.
But JUSUN in Anambra, on Tuesday in Awka directed all members to immediately resume duty and redouble their efforts to cover the lost grounds.
"The strike was suspended because the union entered an agreement with the state government that funds budgeted for the judiciary will be released to the head of courts including personnel, overhead and capital votes of judiciary.
"We signed a Memorandum of Understanding that the implementation would commence with effect from April 2015," Ifezue said.
He, however, warned that if the government failed to release the funds, workers would be forced to resume the strike.

The Chief Registrar of the state Judiciary, Mrs Doris Ezeani, had commended members of the union for suspending the strike and expressed confidence that the appointment of eight new judges as well as employment of new staff in the state judiciary, would help cover the lost grounds.
But yesterday, Ezeani after addressing media on the forthcoming Chief Judge’s prison visit between 1st  June at Onitsha prison, 3rd June Aguata Prison and 5th June Awka Prison said the strike should be avoided as nobody likes staying at home.