May 02, (THEWILL) – An indefinite strike action declared by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), is threatening the inaugural sitting of the Elections Petition Tribunal Sitting in Cross River State.
The inaugural sitting of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal (Panel 1), under it’s Chairman Akawu Bambur is scheduled to commence Wednesday 3rd may 2023 at the state high Court along Moore Road.
But this has been thrown into doubt, as JUSUN Strike has shut down court premises across the state.
Most court premises across the state are under lock and key as at Tuesday afternoon and it’s still unclear what will become of the tribunal.
Comrade Enya Etorti, the state chairman of JUSUN while commenting on the development said they may have to look for a place to have the tribunal.
He said there is nothing wrong with the timing of the strike as they have been waiting since 2015 to hear from the government.
“Judiciary premises is judiciary premises and we are all judiciary staff, judiciary staff are there.
“When we talk about strike it remains strike, so they should look for a place and have the tribunal.
“No timing is wrong because this matter has been in since 2015, we waited for this period and it has not been done so we have to still let the governor know that we are still waiting.
“The government has not made any statement about our demands, last year, April we started reminding them of our demands and we have not had a word from anyone”, he said.
Giving more details about the Industrial action, Comrade Etorti said they have been waiting endlessly to hear from the government but they have ignored their demands.
He said their major grouse with the state government is the non implementation of the 66% CONJUSS salary structure and independence of the state judiciary.
“The AG (Attorney General) came in and said give me two weeks, give me one month and this all ended in a deadlock of not even a word to us.
“We gave the government twenty one days ultimatum, we gave them fourteen days ultimatum and seven days ultimatum since last year and in May we went in five days warning strike and in all these no reaction from the government.
“Our major demands are the independence of the judiciary, which I think is more paramount. Then the most pertinent to us is the pending 66% which is CONJUSS, it’s paid all over the country.
“The state only paid 34% left with 66% and we have been begging the government to pay for years, moreover promotion has not been made for years in the state judiciary”, he said.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
