After about a week that magistrates, presidents of Grade ‘A’ll you customary courts, and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) commenced an indefinite strike in Ondo State, the state government has constituted a committee to address the grievances of the aggrieved judicial workers.

The committee was set up as the industrial action started crippling court operations across the state. The government, through the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, stated that the committee, which comprised senior government officials, had commenced work to restore normalcy to the judicial system in the state.

The strike was triggered by the purported failure of the state government to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary and longstanding complaints over poor welfare packages for judicial workers.

Meanwhile, the impact of the strike has been severe, as the judicial workers accuse the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, as well as the Commissioner for Finance, Omowumi Isaac, of strangling the judicial arm of government by withholding its financial autonomy.

According to Ajanaku, the government is committed to resolving all outstanding issues through what he described as an acceptable and sustainable framework with a mutual understanding from all parties involved.

The commissioner stated: “The Ondo State Government has constituted a committee to address the grievances of striking magistrates, presidents of Grade ‘A’ customary courts, and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), with a view to resolving the issues and fostering enduring industrial harmony within the State Judiciary.

The government assures the good people of the state that all outstanding issues would soon be resolved through an acceptable and sustainable framework.