Call Off Strike Now, Governors Tell Judicial Workers

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Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF)
have called on the striking judiciary workers to call off the
ongoing industrial action in the interest of the nation.

Governor of Sokoto State and the NGF Vice Chairman, Aminu
Tambuwal, made the appeal on Thursday while fielding questions from
State House reporters after leading a delegation that included the
Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in
Nigeria, who is the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly,
Abubakar Y. Suleiman, to meet with the Chief of Staff to the
President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had embarked on
nationwide strike action over the non-implementation of financial
autonomy for the judiciary, thereby paralysing court activities in
States across the country.

Tambuwal said the technical committee raised on the matter had
made reasonable progress on the implementation of financial
autonomy to state judiciary and legislature.

He announced the plan of the committee to meet again on Monday
after receiving the final report.

When asked about their mission to the Presidential Villa, he
said: “We are here with the chairman and leadership of the Speakers
Conference, the Solicitor General of the Federation, and Senior
Special Assistant (SSA) to Mr President on Niger Delta, Sen. Ita
Enang, who has been a member of the Technical Committee on the
implementation of the autonomy of state legislature and the
judiciary, together with the Chief of Staff to the President.

“We have just finished a meeting on how to put finishing touches
and dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s on the final
implementation of the financial autonomy for state legislature and
judiciary.

“We have made reasonable progress and we have agreed, after
receiving the final report of the technical committee to meet on
Monday, because of the urgency of the matter, and finally, resolve
whatever issues are there.”

On whether the JUSUN strike would be called off with this
meeting, the NGF vice-chairman, who was a former Speaker of the
House of Representatives, said: “We have just finished talking to
the speakers, and indeed the state judges, and the judiciary to
continue to engage and the Minister of Labour is also engaging with
the striking bodies to appeal to them, to appreciate the fact that
we have made progress.

“And then, they should call off the strike. We are appealing to
them in the interest of this country, they should call off the
strike.”

Tambuwal added that: “I can assure you that all of us are
committed to building institutions, particularly our parliaments
and the judiciary in our respective states, as governors
democratically elected.

“We will do whatever it takes to make sure that whatever issues
are resolved, as I told you, before, some of it are
constitutional.

“And then, whatever matters that have to do with the
constitution, you have to be sure of what you’re doing that you’re
actually following the Constitution.”

Tambuwal claimed that the governors are in support of financial
autonomy, adding that: “From the very beginning, during the 8th
assembly, under the leadership of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara,
the governors’ forum under Abdulaziz Yari then, met with them and
supported the financial autonomy for the state legislature and the
judiciary.

“And that is why with that support, we were able to achieve the
passage of this amendment by the National Assembly and the state
legislature across the country.

“So, the governors are unequivocally in support of the autonomy
of these institutions.”