Financial Autonomy: Lawyers in Protest as Judiciary Workers Begin Nationwide strike

Financial Autonomy: Lawyers in Protest as Judiciary Workers Begin Nationwide strike

- Lawyers have marched to the National Assembly in solidarity with judiciary workers over financial autonomy

- The protesters are also demanding some allowance payment

- Nigerian courts have been under lock and key for close to two weeks over the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary

PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!

In a solidarity move, Nigerian lawyers have stormed the National Assembly to protest.

The lawyers are doing this in solidarity with judiciary workers who are demanding financial autonomy. In fact, their leadership has directed them to visit all government houses in the 36 states of the country over this, Channels TV reports.

Financial Autonomy: Lawyers in Protest as Judiciary Workers Begin Nationwide strike
Lawyers marched to the National Assembly in a solidarity protest. Photo: @HouseNGR
Source: Facebook

Recall that the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), in a bid to press home their demands, commenced a nationwide strike since April 6.

Specifically, they are demanding the following:

1. Financial autonomy to the judiciary.

Read also

Breaking: NBA threatens to join judiciary workers nationwide strike

2. Payment of peculiar allowances to their members.

JUSUN insisted that as the third arm of the government, the judiciary must have financial autonomy.

Recall that Legit.ng reported that JUSUN members shut down the Supreme Court in Abuja, in line with their threat to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike to press for financial autonomy for the judicial arm of government.

The development came as a defiance to the last minute appeal by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to the workers to shelve the industrial action, which it said was ill-timed considering the COVID-19 constraints the Nigerian courts had been battling with since last year.

Legit.ng gathered that the entrance of the apex court was shut as at 7.10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6, leaving workers who intended to resume duties after the Easter holiday stranded.

In another report, a magistrate who was taking part in a protest on Tuesday, January 5, collapsed in front of the governor’s office in Calabar, the Cross River state capital.

Read also

Angry reactions as Gov El-Rufai of Kaduna sacks 4000 local government workers

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app

The magistrate, Richard Edet, joined his colleagues at the protest venue over the non-payment of their 24 months salaries when the incident occurred.

Fortunately, he was revived by other magistrates with milk and water.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Aanu Adegun avatar

Aanu Adegun Aanu Adegun is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in both digital and traditional media. A graduate of English Studies from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state. Aanu joined Legit.ng in 2016 covering politics and current affairs. Aanu started his journalism career as a features writer. He once anchored some specialised pages of a national newspaper. You can reach him via - aanu.adegun@corp.legit.ng