Scores of
litigants and their lawyers went home disappointed yesterday, following the
indefinite industrial action by the Imo State leadership of the Judicial Staff
Union of Nigeria, JUSUN.
The aggrieved workers downed tools as a result of
what they termed “the apparent unwillingness of Imo State Governor, Chief
Rochas Okorocha, to comply with the ruling of the Federal High Court judgment
on the financial autonomy of the judiciary”.
According to the
release by the leadership of the body, JUSUN explained their action stemmed
from the State Government’s inability to respond to legitimate demands.
In declaring the
indefinite industrial action, the union
directed “all the offices of the courts and the State Judicial Service
Commission, to remain under lock and key, until further notice”.
When Ashiwaju.org
visited the State High Court premises, Owerri, at about 10am
yesterday, the judicial workers completely deserted their offices, while
the litigants were seen in groups bemoaning their plight.
One of the
lawyers, who spoke to Ashiwaju.org on strict grounds of anonymity, lamented that
“the indefinite industrial action would further worsen the bad situation in Imo
Judiciary”.
According to the
lawyer, “the courts are currently congested due to lack of adequate number of
judges to adjudicate over the numerous matters”, adding that even those
awaiting trial would simply remain in jail, until the labour crisis was
resolved.
Meanwhile, the
State House of Assembly was locked up yesterday by the aggrieved workers, over
their five months arrears of salaries and allowances.
The workers, who
were acting on the umbrella union of Parliamentary Staff Association of
Nigeria, PASAN, appealed to the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical
Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, to intervene on their behalf.
They told the
Archbishop that their pains were excruciating and wondered why the governor was
threatening to transfer them, not just
away from the Assembly, but into the rural communities as punishment.
All efforts by Ashiwaju.org to
get the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, to speak on the
matter failed, as his line could not be reached before press time.