Strike action is a work stoppage, caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. It usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became common during the Industrial Revolution, and are sometimes used to pressure governments to change policies.
Occasionally, strikes destabilize the rule of governance and many believed that why were strikes used instead of any other action?
In the past, there is no year Nigerians would not witness any form of strike, if it’s not from the grand-patron ASUU, it would be NLC and recently, Nigerian Doctors have also occupied a seat in the strike angle demanding for one thing or the other.
Sometimes, I pity the minister of labour whose office is responsible for negotiation while other ministers are commissioning projects. One would surely have sympathy for the minister because every protest land on his table before the briefing of the president on the way out, and for many months of striking workers’ refusal to work, the common and ordinary Nigerians became the losers. After all, those that embarked on strike would collect their salaries and other entitlement for the job not done.
It would be recalled that Judiciary workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), in a circular dated April 1 declared an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demand for the financial autonomy of the judiciary and ordered the shutdown of various courts across the country from Tuesday, April 6.
To date, the most important arm of government that symbolizes the true essence of democracy has been under lock and key and no one knows when the strike would be called off. The common and ordinary Nigerians are the losers. Many people have lost their means of livelihood and rights due to the strike.
The strike also gains momentum when the largest association of legal profession throw their ‘weight’ in favour of the strike, before then, only a few Nigerians know about the association called JUSUN. Many Nigerians opined that they only want to make name to resuscitate the dying union.
The issue of financial autonomy is a specific demand which only centered on ‘money-sharing’ and the only way JUSUN thought they could achieve this is to go on indefinite strike without considering the public interest and the hope of those that has lost their freedom. Haba!
I’m still in shock that the NBA who had urged the JUSUN to shun the strike that it would be devastating for justice administration in the country, as Nigerian courts are still struggling to make up for the time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic could be the one championing the strike, I wonder if the NBA president has just realized that his submission on the 5th April is a beer-parlor. Today, JUSUN is the one on strike, NBA is the one protesting, e choke you? The fact remains that the effect of the strike is not portraying the nation’s good as the giant of Africa and a big slap on the judiciary.
It’s worrisome that we could experience this ungodly situation in this century even during the most dreaded military administration the court did not shut down so as to maintain the rule of law as a basis for the administration of public affairs.
At a point where our country is experiencing all forms of security challenges, the only arm of government that has the power to give justice has been under lock and key, and this has given rise to the speculation that it was a clear attempt to topple the government of the day. It’s important to remind all and sundry that the only acceptable mean of changing government is ballot paper. The ongoing strike is unnecessary and the timing is wrong because very soon people would be taken laws into their hands if there is no room to seek for justice.
The story of ‘unknown gunmen’ killing of security officers across the nation, banditry, kidnapping, and other nefarious activities threatening the sovereignty of the nation need urgent judicial attention. Regretable, no court is available to try the accused and this increases the morale of the assailants because they can commit the offense and go scot-free since the courts are under lock and key.
Anyone who truly loves this country would never allow the only arm of government that serves as the only hope for the common man and society to be put under lock and key. It’s an abomination and those concerns must rise above any parochial sentiment to salvage this country.
Since the federal government has complied with the federal judiciary, I see no need for the federal court to join the state court in solidarity, this form of solidarity is a satanic one and we must rise in unison to condemn it.
The so-called state governors that refused to obey provisions of the constitution, presidency orders were being encouraged by their attorney generals who are members of the bar, and It is trite and well-settled principle of law, that the sin of a counsel, characterized by the negligence or inadvertence should not ordinarily be visited upon a litigant, except in extreme circumstances where it’s established that the litigant has deliberately aided or contributed to the counsel’s dereliction of duty. What is the offense of Federal Courts put under lock and keys?
I question if the NBA leadership cannot summon all the States Attorney Generals to a round table discussion as members of the same fraternity and remind them of the clear provision of the Rule (1) of professional conduct for the legal practitioner that states that a Lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the cause of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and Shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner.
Rather, is it difficult for NBA in conjunction with JUSUN to drag the Minister of Finance, CBN, Attorney Generals, State Governors, and other necessary parties to a court of competent jurisdiction to seek for an order of the Court to restrain and forbid CBN and Minister of Finance from paying what belongs to the State Judiciary to the pocket of the state governors account?
The strike has never done anything tangible but rather causing catastrophic for the administration of justice, not to mention the adverse economic consequences for families and lawyers, who earn a living in one way or the other, by providing various support services to the court system.
In conclusion, people are suffering due to the strike, JUSUN and NBA in the interest of justice should re-strategize on their agitation and see ways of achieving that idea without affecting others. There are many ways of killing a rat without affecting others.
The strike should be call-off immediately in the interest of public peace as we have no other country to run to.
God bless Jusun,
God bless NBA,
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Abiodun writes from Abuja and can be reached via albarka200709@yahoo.com
