By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.
![image](/2021/04/lawyers-forum.jpg")
![image](/2021/04/CaseManager.jpg")
The indefinite strike action declared by the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria- herein after referred to as JUSUN- has lasted for
over three weeks and it is still counting! The JUSUN had embarked
on the strike action to compel financial autonomy of the judiciary
on the Governors of States that have not complied with the said
autonomy. Nevertheless, considering the consequential implications
of the strike action on litigants and litigation lawyers, this
paper is of the respectful view that the strike action has made
litigants and litigation lawyers as sacrificial lambs, hence, this
topic.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
The Merriam Webster online dictionary describes
‘sacrificial lamb’ as follows
‘someone or something that is deliberately sacrificed
to promote a cause or for the benefit of others’.
It is true that the financial autonomy of the judiciary is
important and sacrosanct which I also support. Nevertheless, there
is the need to consider the negative impacts of the strike on the
litigants in civil and criminal cases and the entire members of the
public and the litigation lawyers as a whole! Therefore, it is my
humble view that the critical issue is the means devised by JUSUN
to achieve the goal of judicial autonomy and that is my great
challenge which is locking up courts to affect access to courts by
litigants and litigation lawyers! Some senior lawyers have
criticized my grievances against the strike action because to them,
they felt that we should all bear the pains for now in order to
achieve the financial judicial autonomy! They also felt that
lawyers are not on strike rather courts are! They reason also that
since lawyers are not on strike, then, lawyers should have
alternative means of survival and not necessarily on the litigation
practices! Some of them even view that the strike action has taught
us as lawyers that we should find alternative means of survival or
earning a living and not rely on litigation! The Nigerian Bar
Association-herein after referred to as NBA- has also supported the
strike action even though disappointingly, did not take congnisance
of the impacts of the strike action on its members and litigants!
Then, some seniors who have earned high profile of clientele
wickedly and non-compassionately with due respect to them, openly
criticized me that they support the strike action and that they
wondered why a human rights activist like me would complain about
the strike action?! It was indeed a very great surprise to me! I
have also read and listened to some senior lawyers and junior
lawyers complain about the impacts of the strike action on them!
these are the vulnerable members of the legal profession! The
wealthy ones among lawyers refused to take care and or alleviate
the impacts of the strike action on the vulnerable lawyers! Yet,
the wealthy ones inhumanly criticized the vulnerable lawyer against
his criticism of the strike action on his just surviving business
despite the recent impacts of the covid-19 and the #endsars protest
that left destructive effect on the economy of government and
citizens as a whole! How old I am even at the bar?! I am just 8
years at the bar! Is it not reasonable for me to complain about the
impacts of the strike action on me?! Can I compare my economic
development to those of my seniors as Senior Advocates of Nigeria
and others above my year of professional practice?! As far as I am
concerned, the strike action cannot be justified to continue while
the JUSUN and other government workers on strike would lose nothing
at the end of the strike because they would still be paid all their
salaries and other emoluments unaffected! But who bears the effects
negatively?! They are the litigants and the litigation lawyers,
including myself! Wealthy seniors inhumanly only criticize the
vulnerable colleague but have no helping hands financially to the
vulnerable colleague by at least, showing a hand of concern to him,
especially those lawyers that their business has been affected by
the strike action which has lasted for more than three weeks! For
instance, I am vulnerable because, the covid-19 and the #endsars
protest left some huge debts on my business which I have already
spent a lot of money made so far on the resumption from the
lockdowns in paying back and was about to pick up the business when
this strike action came up impromptu! I am now in another round of
debts and I have family to cater for! Why would someone who is a
lawyer like me criticize me for showing my grievances on how the
strike action affects me?! Is that not inconsiderate of such
colleague?! Has the senior colleague forgotten that I am a human
rights activist and I am not trained to be quiet in suffering?! Is
it now that there is strike action that such a person would
be preaching to me that I should have looked for alternative means
to survive?! I really appreciate a senior lawyer who chatted me up
on my whatsapp number on his own and requested to send airtime to
me! He requested for my bank account details which I sent to him.
Surprisingly, he sent the sum of five thousand naira only
(N5,000.00) as a help to reduce the impact of the JUSUN’s strike
action! May God bless him! This is one of those welfare concerns
expected from the wealthy colleagues! One day, in God that I trust,
I would also be in position to help others one time or the other
either as a Judicial Officer (Judge) or as a private legal
practitioner (or in any other better position)! I will not hesitate
to help those among my colleagues in need having regard to the
legacy left by this senior (and some few seniors have done such as
this in the past to me during the covid-19 and the #endsars protest
when I reached out to them for help!)! Apart from him, who cares?!
Even some of the NBA’s executives who have wealthy clientele are
criticizing me rather than use initiative on how to help at this
time! This lawyer that extended a hand of help to me had one time
called me to discuss the need for the strike action with me, but
rather than criticizing me even for disagreeing with his views, he
really understood my plight and he voluntarily sent (even a token),
but it showed his magnanimity to the current situation! Therefore,
we must all not shy away from the truth that some if not many
lawyers (including myself) are financially affected by this strike
action! Not telling ourselves this truth is an injustice to those
of us affected! We are not jobless or lazy but the strike has
impacted on our businesses! Take for instance, I run over 90% of
litigation practices both in civil and criminal practices! I do not
depend on appearance fee alone contrary to what some wicked
colleagues sarcastically held that litigation lawyers depend on
‘appearance fee’! but now, no fee can be
paid by litigants (and I do not cheat my clients to earn my living)
because litigants are also affected and so would not pay any fee
this time, hence, no business, no income!
Finally, it is my humble appeal without prejudice to my support
for the financial autonomy of the judiciary, that JUSUN should
suspend this strike action in the interest of justice for litigants
and litigation lawyers have almost become unable to bear the
impacts of the strike action! Also, there is no how this strike has
affected the Governors of States that have refused to comply with
the financial autonomy of the judiciary and only the litigants and
the litigation lawyers have become the sacrificial lamb!
Furthermore, I humbly request the wealthy lawyers to help the
vulnerable colleagues whose economy/business has been affected by
this strike action in the interest of justice! I as a legal
practitioner cannot be quiet to continue to suffer and approach the
public to smile as if I am not affected economically! Yes! I am
affected and my business has been affected! I am not lazy and
jobless! I wish to work and earn some income to shoulder my
necessary financial obligations! I cannot run out of this legal
profession because it is my aspiration and unending passion! I do
not earn salary or allowances except from my legal practice which
is mainly on litigation practices! In God (Almighty) I trust! The
truth must be told!
Email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com[1]
By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.
The indefinite strike action declared by the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria- herein after referred to as JUSUN- has lasted for
over three weeks and it is still counting! The JUSUN had embarked
on the strike action to compel financial autonomy of the judiciary
on the Governors of States that have not complied with the said
autonomy. Nevertheless, considering the consequential implications
of the strike action on litigants and litigation lawyers, this
paper is of the respectful view that the strike action has made
litigants and litigation lawyers as sacrificial lambs, hence, this
topic.
The Merriam Webster online dictionary describes
‘sacrificial lamb’ as follows
‘someone or something that is deliberately sacrificed
to promote a cause or for the benefit of others’.
It is true that the financial autonomy of the judiciary is
important and sacrosanct which I also support. Nevertheless, there
is the need to consider the negative impacts of the strike on the
litigants in civil and criminal cases and the entire members of the
public and the litigation lawyers as a whole! Therefore, it is my
humble view that the critical issue is the means devised by JUSUN
to achieve the goal of judicial autonomy and that is my great
challenge which is locking up courts to affect access to courts by
litigants and litigation lawyers! Some senior lawyers have
criticized my grievances against the strike action because to them,
they felt that we should all bear the pains for now in order to
achieve the financial judicial autonomy! They also felt that
lawyers are not on strike rather courts are! They reason also that
since lawyers are not on strike, then, lawyers should have
alternative means of survival and not necessarily on the litigation
practices! Some of them even view that the strike action has taught
us as lawyers that we should find alternative means of survival or
earning a living and not rely on litigation! The Nigerian Bar
Association-herein after referred to as NBA- has also supported the
strike action even though disappointingly, did not take congnisance
of the impacts of the strike action on its members and litigants!
Then, some seniors who have earned high profile of clientele
wickedly and non-compassionately with due respect to them, openly
criticized me that they support the strike action and that they
wondered why a human rights activist like me would complain about
the strike action?! It was indeed a very great surprise to me! I
have also read and listened to some senior lawyers and junior
lawyers complain about the impacts of the strike action on them!
these are the vulnerable members of the legal profession! The
wealthy ones among lawyers refused to take care and or alleviate
the impacts of the strike action on the vulnerable lawyers! Yet,
the wealthy ones inhumanly criticized the vulnerable lawyer against
his criticism of the strike action on his just surviving business
despite the recent impacts of the covid-19 and the #endsars protest
that left destructive effect on the economy of government and
citizens as a whole! How old I am even at the bar?! I am just 8
years at the bar! Is it not reasonable for me to complain about the
impacts of the strike action on me?! Can I compare my economic
development to those of my seniors as Senior Advocates of Nigeria
and others above my year of professional practice?! As far as I am
concerned, the strike action cannot be justified to continue while
the JUSUN and other government workers on strike would lose nothing
at the end of the strike because they would still be paid all their
salaries and other emoluments unaffected! But who bears the effects
negatively?! They are the litigants and the litigation lawyers,
including myself! Wealthy seniors inhumanly only criticize the
vulnerable colleague but have no helping hands financially to the
vulnerable colleague by at least, showing a hand of concern to him,
especially those lawyers that their business has been affected by
the strike action which has lasted for more than three weeks! For
instance, I am vulnerable because, the covid-19 and the #endsars
protest left some huge debts on my business which I have already
spent a lot of money made so far on the resumption from the
lockdowns in paying back and was about to pick up the business when
this strike action came up impromptu! I am now in another round of
debts and I have family to cater for! Why would someone who is a
lawyer like me criticize me for showing my grievances on how the
strike action affects me?! Is that not inconsiderate of such
colleague?! Has the senior colleague forgotten that I am a human
rights activist and I am not trained to be quiet in suffering?! Is
it now that there is strike action that such a person would
be preaching to me that I should have looked for alternative means
to survive?! I really appreciate a senior lawyer who chatted me up
on my whatsapp number on his own and requested to send airtime to
me! He requested for my bank account details which I sent to him.
Surprisingly, he sent the sum of five thousand naira only
(N5,000.00) as a help to reduce the impact of the JUSUN’s strike
action! May God bless him! This is one of those welfare concerns
expected from the wealthy colleagues! One day, in God that I trust,
I would also be in position to help others one time or the other
either as a Judicial Officer (Judge) or as a private legal
practitioner (or in any other better position)! I will not hesitate
to help those among my colleagues in need having regard to the
legacy left by this senior (and some few seniors have done such as
this in the past to me during the covid-19 and the #endsars protest
when I reached out to them for help!)! Apart from him, who cares?!
Even some of the NBA’s executives who have wealthy clientele are
criticizing me rather than use initiative on how to help at this
time! This lawyer that extended a hand of help to me had one time
called me to discuss the need for the strike action with me, but
rather than criticizing me even for disagreeing with his views, he
really understood my plight and he voluntarily sent (even a token),
but it showed his magnanimity to the current situation! Therefore,
we must all not shy away from the truth that some if not many
lawyers (including myself) are financially affected by this strike
action! Not telling ourselves this truth is an injustice to those
of us affected! We are not jobless or lazy but the strike has
impacted on our businesses! Take for instance, I run over 90% of
litigation practices both in civil and criminal practices! I do not
depend on appearance fee alone contrary to what some wicked
colleagues sarcastically held that litigation lawyers depend on
‘appearance fee’! but now, no fee can be
paid by litigants (and I do not cheat my clients to earn my living)
because litigants are also affected and so would not pay any fee
this time, hence, no business, no income!
Finally, it is my humble appeal without prejudice to my support
for the financial autonomy of the judiciary, that JUSUN should
suspend this strike action in the interest of justice for litigants
and litigation lawyers have almost become unable to bear the
impacts of the strike action! Also, there is no how this strike has
affected the Governors of States that have refused to comply with
the financial autonomy of the judiciary and only the litigants and
the litigation lawyers have become the sacrificial lamb!
Furthermore, I humbly request the wealthy lawyers to help the
vulnerable colleagues whose economy/business has been affected by
this strike action in the interest of justice! I as a legal
practitioner cannot be quiet to continue to suffer and approach the
public to smile as if I am not affected economically! Yes! I am
affected and my business has been affected! I am not lazy and
jobless! I wish to work and earn some income to shoulder my
necessary financial obligations! I cannot run out of this legal
profession because it is my aspiration and unending passion! I do
not earn salary or allowances except from my legal practice which
is mainly on litigation practices! In God (Almighty) I trust! The
truth must be told!
Email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com[1]