REPORT: As strike embarked by member of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria Enters Day 17

Written by Ayo Adekeye

Their one single demand is financial autonomy for the judiciary as backed by the Nigerian constitution and Executive Order 10 signed by the president in May 2020.

Section 121 subsection 3 states that “any amount standing to the credit of the House of Assembly of the state and judiciary in the consolidated revenue fund of the state shall be paid directly to the said bodies respectively; in the case of the judiciary, such amount shall be paid directly to the heads of the courts concerned”.

This is where the demand for autonomy stems from and JUSUN says state governments are not complying with this constitutional provision.

So this morning, the JUSUN members converged at the State High Court and from there marched through the streets of Akure to the Governor’s Office at Alagbaka.

They chanted various solidarity songs as they marched on.

JUSUN chairman in Ondo State, Afolabi Oluwafemi, echoed that the demand of the union is constitutional and must be implemented.

On his part, the NLC Chairman in the state, Sunday Adeleye, appealed to the state government to take immediate action.

At the governor’s office, the deputy governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, met with protesters, stressing that the process of implementing judicial financial autonomy has been initiated.

The deputy governor appreciated the protesters for a peaceful protest, while appealing to them to exercise patience as their demand will be attended to as soon as possible.