Security at Edo state Government House stopped lawyers on a solidarity march with striking judiciary workers from entering the complex to deliver a message to the state government.
Nigerian Bar Association across the country has joined the striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria in solidarity to push for financial autonomy for the judiciary.
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But JUSUN in Edo state has stayed away from the strike, citing a “no work, no pay” policy that cost them salaries previously.
Hundreds of lawyers assembled and marched to the Government House but were refused entry by security on duty.
Addressing journalists in Benin, the state NBA Chairman, Pius Oiwoh, said they were at the government house to deliver a consolidatory letter to the governor as directed by the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata.
“We want to ensure that the provision of section 121, subsection 53 of the1999 Constitution as amended comes to fruition.
“We went to the Edo state government house but were refused access by security men on duty.
” I don’t want to believe that his excellency, the Governor of Edo State directed what happened and by this, we have assured them that we will be here by next Monday,” he said.
Not negotiable
Meanwhile, the Senate has said the independence of the judiciary was non-negotiable.
Sen. Michael Bamidele, Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters was reacting to the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
JUSUN began a nationwide indefinite strike on Monday, April 6 over the non-implementation of judicial financial autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution.
President Muhammadu Buhari had signed an Executive Order granting financial autonomy to the judiciary and State House of Assembly in May 2020, after several agitations.
However, the gazetting of the order was suspended after Buhari met with governors, who later expressed concern over its constitutionality.
Reacting to the development, Bamidele who said, “For me as a Nigerian, it is laughable that we still need at this point, to be grappling with the need to grand judiciary independence at whatever level be it at the federal, state and local government level.
“Our laws are very clear on this,” he said.
“For the National Assembly, we have done the needful by making necessary laws that can guarantee independence of the judiciary at the federal level. So for us, it is not an issue because we have done the needful.
“What is left is for our state houses of assembly to also do what they are supposed to do.
“And that is why as a principle, as a policy, members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters have tried not to call on those who are protesting to stop such protest.
“We do not want protest but definitely we will rather talk more to our state governors, to our state houses of assembly and to the stakeholders that are supposed to do the needful to please do the needful in overriding public interest.
(NAN)
