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Ondo Judiciary Workers To Call Off Four-Month-Old Strike This Week

He disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being prepared between the union and the State government for the strike to be resolved, adding that a financial autonomy has already been approved for the union.

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Dr. Olusegun Mimiko

The Judiciary workers in Ondo State under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have this week called off their four month old strike, an executive member of the union exclusively told SaharaReporters on Monday.

The member who requested not to be named told the SaharaReporters correspondent in Akure, the State capital, that the executive members of the union had already met and discussed with the representatives of the State government over the strike.

He disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being prepared between the union and the State government for the strike to be resolved, adding that a financial autonomy has already been approved for the union.

“The matter has been permanently resolved that I can authoritatively inform you that members of the Judiciary Union Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Ondo State would this week call off their strike.

“A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has already been prepared between the union and the State government for legal activities to resume back to the various courts in the State.  

“The State government hopefully would be granting financial autonomy to the judiciary in the State because this is what we have been looking for, and I can tell you that the lawyers in the state are very much happy about this”, he said.

He added that, “If financial autonomy is not granted to the judiciary, it means that the judiciary will always be in the hands of the executive government of any State”.

The executive member disclosed how the union went through tough and thick times with the State government before an agreement could be finally reached stressing that lawyers in the state would be happy about the development.   

“The strike, though, is a national calamity and a pathetic situation which is least expected to this stage. But, we thank God our aim was finally achieved for the strike to be call off.

“Truly, this is what we have been waiting for, and I believe lawyers in the State would be happy about this development. We have always let our people know that the judiciary is one of the powerful arms of government in any country and it should never be taken for granted”.

The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede had earlier confirmed that the state government had met with executive members of the union over their demands.

He revealed that within the couple of days, the strike would be call off and all courts in the state would be open back for litigations after months of locked up.

“All issues raised by the Judiciary Staff Union is being addressed and am hopeful that with their cooperation the strike would be call off while our courts would be open for litigations again”, he said.

The union had been on strike since the 5th of January this year over grants for financial autonomy for the judiciary workers in the State.

Also, the strike action had crippled activities in the law courts with many people bundle in prison custody and innocent citizens arrested unlawfully by the police in the State.