The Ondo state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUNSUN) has commenced an indefinite strike action as part of their protest against an alleged maladministration of the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Lasehinde Kumuyi.
The industrial action came barely three weeks after the national body of the union called-off its nation-wide strike.
The union accused the Chief Judge of adopting wrong policies in the administration of the state judiciary, which include : deploying magistrates to man administrative positions and the consideration of conversion, advancement and promotion of its members.
Justice Kumuyi was also accused by the state JUSUN of restraining the Judicial Service Commission from fashioning out new Scheme of Service for the registrar cadre in the state judiciary.
As a result of the strike action, all legal activities ware paralysed at the State High Court, Akure, the state capital on Monday, while the gates to the Court premises were under lock and key.
According to a statement issued by the Union’s Chairman, Mr Femi Ogunode, who said the decision was reached at a congress, the industrial action was unavoidable.
Ogunode explained that the action became imperative following a failed negotiation deal between its representatives and the Judiciary Service Commission, (JSC) and management of the State Judiciary.
He added that the positions were not meant for the JSC and stressed that continuous holding of administrative positions by the commission and Management of the Judiciary is not in the best interest of the workers and the system .
He further explained that since the commission and management of the Judiciary had been holding such positions, many of the judiciary staff have been denied promotions, while some who had applied for conversion of service were refused to be granted consideration.
“The Judiciary Service Commission, JSC, has failed to heed the advice of the Ondo state Head of service that due process should be followed in fashioning out new scheme of service for the Registrars.
“It is our belief that if the judiciary Service Commission wants Magistrates to acquire administrative knowledge, it should send them to relevant administrative training institutions”, he said.
“Judicial service commission has also failed woefully to heed our own advice that it should wait patiently for the release of the new National scheme of service being prepared by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, national body, in conjunction with all relevant bodies like the National Council on Establishment”, he said.
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