April 19, 2021

Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Monday marched to the National Assembly in solidarity with judiciary workers who are protesting financial autonomy.

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to press home their demands has commenced a nationwide strike.

At the nation’s capital, the JUSUN workers converged on the gate of the court of appeal in Abuja chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards.

Toping the list of demands is the issue of financial autonomy to the judiciary. They are also asking for the payment of peculiar allowances to their members.

JUSUN had since April 6, 2021, left the courts in Nigeria under lock and key because of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary as the third arm of government.

The union had alleged that the Federal and State governments had over the years, declined to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary.

The NBA President had earlier on Friday directed its branch chairmen nationwide to lead “visits” to government houses in their states over the 36 governors’ alleged unwillingness to implement judiciary’s financial autonomy.

A statement by the president of the association, Olumide Akpata, directed the branch chairmen to lead the “visits”, which are more like peaceful protests, on Monday, and on all other subsequent Mondays until the demand for the judiciary’s financial autonomy is met.

It urged the branch leaders “to effectively mobilise their members” for the “visit to the governors at the state government houses” to press home the demand.