April 20, 2021

A former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Monday Ubani has backed the strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), saying Nigerians have been denied good governance.

JUSUN had on April 6 declared a nationwide strike to press home its demands, thereby crippling activities in courts and judicial institutions across the country.

Just yesterday, members of the union in collaboration with the NBA also protested against the failure of the governor to allow financial autonomy in states.

But speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Ubani accused Nigerian governors of controlling the judicial and legislative arms of government.

“I see no reason why we have delayed so much but somebody has also pointed out that the governors actually wanted a situation whereby they will be in total control of the other two arms of government and that is why Nigerians have not been getting good governance,” he said.

Former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Monday Ubani speaks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily in Lagos on April 20, 2021.

“Both at the judicial and parliamentary levels, these governors when they come in, want to control the State House of Assembly, determine who becomes the Speaker and fail to give them that particular independence they require in order to checkmate what goes on at the Executive.”

When asked why it is taking so long for governors to grant financial autonomy to judicial workers, the legal practitioner said “they were deriving so much pleasure in the undue control they have exerted over the other two arms of government over time.”

Giving an instance, the senior lawyer said when governors purchase vehicles for judges in their states; they invite the press and create a situation to suggest they are doing the jurists a favour.

While declaring the move as an aberration, Ubani commended JUSUN for embarking on the industrial action, insisting that the strike is long overdue.

Since April 6, courts in Nigeria have been under lock and key because of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary as the third arm of government.

JUSUN 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.