Yar’Adua, Fashola meet over judiciary workers strike - As strike enters 3rd day

Kunle Awosiyan, Lagos - 30.01.2008

LAGOS State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, has held a meeting with President Umaru Yar’Adua on the need for immediate resolution of the ongoing strike embarked upon by judiciary workers nationwide.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, who disclosed this to the Nigerian Tribune in an interview on Tuesday, stated that Fashola’s meeting with Yar’Adua was borne out of his concern for the judiciary and his belief that the survival and sustenance of democracy in the country rested squarely on the judiciary.

Besides this, Mr. Bamidele stated that the governor decided to take up the matter with the president because he was a major stakeholder, being a lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

According to him, Governor Fashola returned from the National Council of State meeting where he took time off to meet with President Yar’Adua over the issue of the strike by judiciary workers in the country.

He said that the governor also met with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, on the same issue where he called for urgent dialogue with the striking workers.

Mr. Bamidele said that the governor made it clear to the minister the need to engage in meaningful and sincere negotiation with the workers so that issues involved could once and for all addressed and a resolution acceptable to the workers and government reached.

“The governor at the talks urged the Federal Government to go into an enhanced dialogue with the workers and ensure that some of the issues that are raised are addressed in a way that the workers themselves would be happy,” he said.

At the home front, the commissioner revealed that the governor had directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence immediate talks with the state chapter of judiciary workers with the hope of minimising the impact of the strike on the dispensation and administration of justice in the state.

“I know that the governor has given directive to the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state to liaise with the judiciary in Lagos State to see how best we can manage the strike,” he said.

The ongoing strike by the judiciary workers across the country on Tuesday forced the election petition tribunal sitting in Ibadan to suspend its sitting indefinitely.

Secretary of the tribunal, Mr. Godwin Agbo, who told newsmen about the decision of the tribunal, stated that the suspension would last till the strike was called off by the workers.

“It is not our making, but the tribunal is helpless. The judges of the tribunal really wanted to conclude sittings on schedule as directed by the higher authorities, but this strike is one thing nobody contemplated.

“We are forced to adjourn since there is no space for us to sit. We are on break subject to the call off of the strike. The break would have been unnecessary if the striking workers had allowed us to sit and act expeditiously on the petitions before it.”

He stressed that the suspension of the sittings was imperative because of the inability of the panel to secure a befitting place for its proceedings. Members of the election petition tribunal sitting in Ibadan were locked out from the courtroom by the striking judiciary staff in Ibadan, on Monday .

All the pleas of the chief judge, Justice Isaiah Olukanmi, to convince the workers that the sitting of the tribunal was a national assignment was ignored by the striking workers who chased away those going to the tribunal.

Armed policemen and the striking judiciary workers reportedly clashed before the intervention of the top police officials who called their men to order. The gates to court premises in Lagos State remained locked on Tuesday as the strike by the workers entered its third day today. At Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, judicial activities were stalled because of the absence of workers, while lawyers and litigants at the court premises expressed disappointment about the development.

A lawyer, Mr. Olajide Zaidi, described the strike as bad for the judiciary. “Persons on remand, who were expected to gain their freedom during the period of the strike, will have to remain in detention till the strike is called off,’’ Zaidi said. He said strikes often obstructed the course of justice as many cases would be suspended.

“I hope the authority would do something quickly to save the situation,’’ he said. Members of Kwara State Judiciary Staff Association of Nigeria were on Tuesday forced to comply with the order to join their counterparts across the country.

The workers, who were seen going about their normal work in their various officers on Tuesday were forced out. Addressing journalists shortly after a meeting with the authorities of the Kwara State judiciary, the NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Emmanuel Ayeoribe, said their action became imperative as the judiciary is the same across the federation.

He said what the national headquarters was fighting for would benefit all the staff of judiciary in the country. “We met with the management and we were made to believe that there was a communication gap in the area of execution of the directive, but based on our convictions, we are now locking all the gates to the courts to ensure that the members comply properly,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) said it was in support of the judiciary workers’ strike which has paralysed the sittings of the tribunals and courts in the country. The congress also expressed solidarity with the doctors on the warning strike for better welfare for their members.

It said in a statement that “the TUC believes that the appropriate authorities must immediately negotiate and accede to the workers’ demands which are genuine. “The workers have exercised patience and in the interest of industrial peace and harmony the issues should be resolved.

“The current industrial action by the judicial workers has halted proceedings in the courts especially in an era of due process and rule of law and their grievances should be urgently addressed. “We call on the Federal Government to embrace dialogue and apply the policy of give and take in resolving the crisis.

“The Federal Government should not be recalcitrant in the current face-off with the judiciary workers as the pending cases in tribunals and courts will be further elongated,” it said. “The judiciary workers deserve better condition of service, so also the medical doctors.

“The TUC, therefore, calls on the judiciary workers not to relent in the fight for justice, equity and fairplay. “The TUC fully backs the on-going strike and however calls on government to listen to their grievances. “The Congress warns that it will not tolerate any form of intimidation or harassment of the workers and enjoined them to be steadfast and embrace the use of social dialogue to resolve the impasse.”