LAWYERS LAMENT AS JUSUN STRIKE GROUNDS COURTS IN ENUGU

Reporter: CHUKWUBIKE MMADU

Some legal Practitioners in Enugu State have appealed to the leadership of the judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Federal Government to resolve their differences to end the strike crippling the justice sector.

They made the appeal while speaking with Radio Nigeria on the effects of the strike on justice delivery in the country.

Observation by Radio Nigeria showed that Federal and state courts in Enugu State are under lock with litigants and those doing ancillary businesses within and around the court premises stranded.

From Magistrate Court, State High Court, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court to the Court of Appeal Enugu, the story was the same as their entrance gates were locked with a bold inscription: Courts on Strike, keep off, courtesy of JUSUN.

Reacting to the strike, the Chairman, Eziagu Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Nnadume Ofokansi noted that the strike was already impinging on the fundamental rights of detainees, especially those in police custody.

Mr. Ofokansi while appealing for urgent amicable resolution of the contentious issues between the striking judicial workers and the government, suggested the creation of special venues for courts to handle critical cases to avert a breach of the constitution.

“I suggest that may be the Chief judge in his wisdom can designate one or two magistrates to sit anywhere because they can’t enter the court premises due to the strike, to handle over night emergency cases.

“At least those who deserve bail will be given bail. Those who deserve to be remanded, will be remanded.

“Keeping people in police custody these days too is also not safe with these consistent attacks of unknown gunmen raiding police stations.

“Again, anybody you keep in police detention for one month an still sue you for fundamental rights abuse,” Mr. Ofokansi noted.

Also an Enugu based legal practitioner, Mr. Godwin Onwusi, said the demands of the striking workers for financial autonomy of the judiciary was necessary to guarantee judicial independence and unbiased judgment.

“And once you have that Judicial autonomy, judgments will become more qualitative. So that they won’t be afraid of not getting their monthly allocations if they give judgments that infuriate the executive arm,” Mr. Onwusi remarked.

Mr. Onwusi, however, lamented that the strike would not only affect litigations but source of living of lawyers, hence the need to resolve the matter.

“It is affecting everybody, even lawyers, even families of the lawyers because lawyers live by going to court.

“If you don’t go to court, you, you do t get your earnings and if you don’t get your earnings your family suffers.

“But most important litigants. Some of them are people who are in prison; people who have their fundamental rights breached or who are in prison and are waiting for the enforcement of their fundamental rights. All those things have come to a halt,” Mr. Onwusi cried out.

Meanwhile, the National Vice President, South East of JUSUN, Mr. Chinedu Mba, noted that their insistence on financial autonomy of the judiciary was constitutional, adding the President Mohammadu Buhari had signed Executive Order Ten for enforcement of the judicial autonomy.

“Section 121(3) of the the Nigerian constitution as amended stipulates that all monies due to judiciary should be paid directly to the head of courts but the state governors refused to comply.

“The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, went further to create Executive Order 10 and still they refused. So we have no option but to go on strike,” the JUSUN leader pointed out.

Mr. Mba insisted that the strike would continue until their demand was met.