Osun judiciary workers declare indefinite strike

The Osun Chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) declared an indefinite strike on Wednesday after police shot tear gas canisters at protesting workers.

The Chairman of JUSUN in the state, Mr Oluwagbemiga Eludire, who declared the strike, stated that it was imperative to put an end to mismanagement of the courts in the state.

Eludire claimed that Osun Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, had declared war on workers, and that the union would not back down until answers to the embattled CJ’s concerns were supplied.

He stated that the union picketed the CJ’s office in order to trash unsolved concerns such as the unconstitutional suspension of certain of its members for over 57 months without recourse to the Judicial Service Commission.

“The stoppage of training of judiciary workers at the NJI despite adequate provision and non-payment of wardrobe allowances for judiciary workers despite adequate provision of same in the budget.

Governor Ademola Adeleke had on November 16 approved the suspension of Ojo, following recommendations of the state legislators.

A statement by Mr Olawale Rasheed, spokesman to Adeleke had stated that the resolution passed was to give the lawmakers room to investigate the allegations against the Chief judge.

Rasheed stated that Gov. Adeleke also approved the appointment of Justice Olayinka Afolabi as the Acting Chief Judge of the state.

The swearing-in of Afolabi as acting CJ, however, did not hold as the Deputy Governor, Mr Kola Adewusi, scheduled to oversee the event, and Justice Afolabi, the acting Chief Judge, did not show up at the venue of the exercise on Nov. 17.

The NJC also did not give approval for the suspension of Justice Ojo and for her replacement by Justice Afolabi.

On November 19, Adeleke reversed himself, and denied that he suspended Justice Ojo from office.

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, stated in Osogbo that the governor had not even appointed any judicial officer as acting Chief Judge.

He added that Adeleke only recommended the acting chief judge to the NJC, being the most senior in line.