Judicial, Legislative Workers May End Strike Next Week

Judicial and Legislative workers are set to end their two months
old industrial action that has led to the shutting down of courts
and state legislative Houses nationwide.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was reached at the
conciliatory meeting between governors and the leadership of the
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff
Association of Nigeria (PASAN) but the governors only signed the
document yesterday.

Following a meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and
Employment yesterday between federal government and the leadership
of unions, it was agreed that they would go and meet with their
organs with a view to formally calling off the strike.

The Union’s decision came just as federal government said that
the state governors had finally signed the agreement reached with
workers that would enable the implementation of full financial
autonomy to take off.

Based on the latest engagement, federal government expressed
hope that courts and state assemblies would re-open next week.

It said that its optimism was based on the resolution of the
nationwide industrial dispute of the Judicial Staff Union of
Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria
(PASAN) over the non-implementation of autonomy for State judiciary
and legislature by the governors.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige,
stated this in his office after a short meeting between the
government side and unions to smoothen the grey areas in the
Memorandum of Action (MOA) reached on May 20, 2021.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Ngige, said
the 36 governors led by the Chairman of the Governors Forum,
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and his Deputy, Aminu
Tambuwal of Sokoto State, had put their pen on paper on behalf of
their colleagues on the historic agreement which they reached on
May 20th. According to the minister, with what they achieved at the
meeting, it was expected that the courts and state assemblies would
re-open next week, since all the grey areas had been
smoothened.

“So today we met with the unions in a small dialogue to dot the
i’s and cross the t’s in the agreement which we agreed will take
effect from 20th of May.

“Right now, we expect the unions to go back to their members and
give them final briefing on what we have achieved today.

“And with this achievement of today, we are hopeful that by next
week, the chambers of our courts and the doors of the state
assemblies will be open for business activities to begin,” he
said.

Ngige said they were not oblivious that this situation has posed
serious challenges to the nation, especially as the courts were
closed and the law enforcement agencies had no place to take
arrested criminals

He said: “Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and Chairman of
the Nigerian Governors Forum and his deputy, Governor of Sokoto
State, Aminu Tambuwal have put their pen on paper on behalf of the
36 state governors on the historic agreement which we reached on
May 20. So today we are meeting with the unions in a small dialogue
to dot the Is and cross the Ts in the agreement.

“Right now we expect the unions to go back to their members on a
final briefing on what we have achieved today.

“From this achievement of today, we hope that next week the
chambers of our state Assemblies and doors of our courts will be
open,” he said.

However, Our correspondent gathered that two other signatories
from the federal government side, the Attorney General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami and Solicitor General of the
Federation, were not available at the meeting to append their
signatures.

Deputy President of JUSUN, Mr. Emmanuel Abisoye who spoke to
newsmen said that Ngige had assured that the SGF and the Solicitor
General would sign the document as soon they were back from an
official trip.

As part of the Memoradum of Agreement (MoA), state governors are
expected to commence the Implementation of full financial autonomy
for the state legislatures and Judiciary not later than 45 days
from the date of signing of the agreement.

The meeting which held at the office of Minister of Labour and
Employment, had in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Niger Delta Affairs and Secretary of the Committee on
the full implementation of financial autonomy for Judiciary and
state legislatures, Senator Ita Enang and President of Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba.

Judicial and Legislative workers are set to end their two months
old industrial action that has led to the shutting down of courts
and state legislative Houses nationwide.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was reached at the
conciliatory meeting between governors and the leadership of the
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff
Association of Nigeria (PASAN) but the governors only signed the
document yesterday.

Following a meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and
Employment yesterday between federal government and the leadership
of unions, it was agreed that they would go and meet with their
organs with a view to formally calling off the strike.

The Union’s decision came just as federal government said that
the state governors had finally signed the agreement reached with
workers that would enable the implementation of full financial
autonomy to take off.

Based on the latest engagement, federal government expressed
hope that courts and state assemblies would re-open next week.

It said that its optimism was based on the resolution of the
nationwide industrial dispute of the Judicial Staff Union of
Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria
(PASAN) over the non-implementation of autonomy for State judiciary
and legislature by the governors.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige,
stated this in his office after a short meeting between the
government side and unions to smoothen the grey areas in the
Memorandum of Action (MOA) reached on May 20, 2021.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Ngige, said
the 36 governors led by the Chairman of the Governors Forum,
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and his Deputy, Aminu
Tambuwal of Sokoto State, had put their pen on paper on behalf of
their colleagues on the historic agreement which they reached on
May 20th. According to the minister, with what they achieved at the
meeting, it was expected that the courts and state assemblies would
re-open next week, since all the grey areas had been
smoothened.

“So today we met with the unions in a small dialogue to dot the
i’s and cross the t’s in the agreement which we agreed will take
effect from 20th of May.

“Right now, we expect the unions to go back to their members and
give them final briefing on what we have achieved today.

“And with this achievement of today, we are hopeful that by next
week, the chambers of our courts and the doors of the state
assemblies will be open for business activities to begin,” he
said.

Ngige said they were not oblivious that this situation has posed
serious challenges to the nation, especially as the courts were
closed and the law enforcement agencies had no place to take
arrested criminals

He said: “Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and Chairman of
the Nigerian Governors Forum and his deputy, Governor of Sokoto
State, Aminu Tambuwal have put their pen on paper on behalf of the
36 state governors on the historic agreement which we reached on
May 20. So today we are meeting with the unions in a small dialogue
to dot the Is and cross the Ts in the agreement.

“Right now we expect the unions to go back to their members on a
final briefing on what we have achieved today.

“From this achievement of today, we hope that next week the
chambers of our state Assemblies and doors of our courts will be
open,” he said.

However, Our correspondent gathered that two other signatories
from the federal government side, the Attorney General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami and Solicitor General of the
Federation, were not available at the meeting to append their
signatures.

Deputy President of JUSUN, Mr. Emmanuel Abisoye who spoke to
newsmen said that Ngige had assured that the SGF and the Solicitor
General would sign the document as soon they were back from an
official trip.

As part of the Memoradum of Agreement (MoA), state governors are
expected to commence the Implementation of full financial autonomy
for the state legislatures and Judiciary not later than 45 days
from the date of signing of the agreement.

The meeting which held at the office of Minister of Labour and
Employment, had in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Niger Delta Affairs and Secretary of the Committee on
the full implementation of financial autonomy for Judiciary and
state legislatures, Senator Ita Enang and President of Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba.