Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday denied being responsible for the prolonged strike action embarked on by the state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

He also described as unfounded allegation that the refusal or boycott of his appointees in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had culminated in the strike action by judiciary workers.

Apparently reacting to the alarm raised by the forum of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Osun, over the looming paralysis of governance owing to the strike action, Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, attributed the development to the persistent refusal of the Chief Judge to convene JSC meeting.

While pointing out that the Chief Judge’s failure to implement the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed during the last strike with members of JUSUN also triggered the ongoing industrial action, the governor affirmed his commitment to constitutional governance, the rule of law, and the effective functioning of the judiciary in the state.

The statement reads, “The allegations of deliberate refusal or boycott by government-appointed members of the JSC are unfounded. The paralysis of the judiciary is not attributable to any inaction on the part of governor’s appointees.

“The Honourable Chief Judge has, for a continuous period of two years, failed, neglected, and refused to convene any meeting of the Judicial Service Commission. Since the constitution and appointment of the commission, the Chief Judge has persistently declined to discharge this statutory duty, notwithstanding several letters, formal applications, and repeated reminders duly issued by the Honourable State Attorney General and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

“This refusal constitutes a grave dereliction of duty and has effectively hindered the proper functioning of the JSC. We challenge the Chief Judge and the NBA to produce a single letter wherein the Chief Judge either convened a meeting of the JSC or directed the Secretary of the commission to do so.

“During the last JUSUN strike, the governor personally intervened. On February 6, 2024, the National President of JUSUN, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, led members of his executive to meet with Governor Adeleke, who appealed for a resolution of the legitimate demands of JUSUN Osun Chapter. Subsequently, the National President met separately with the Honourable Chief Judge and his team to address the grievances of judicial workers.

“In a bid to resolve the impasse, a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) dated 16th February 2024 was executed by: Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, mni, National President of JUSUN (for JUSUN); Wole Jimi-Bada, SAN., Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (for the Osun State Government); and Mr. F. I. Omisade, Honourable Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice (for the Osun State Judiciary).

The MoA, among others, contained clear undertakings, including: immediate convening of JSC meetings to reinstate suspended staff, promotion and regularisation of qualified staff without delay, withdrawal of all pending court actions against the JSC, JUSUN, and the Attorney-General, payment of 2023 Robe Allowance as budgeted.

It also includes consideration of 2021 and 2022 Robe Allowances, Non-victimisation of judicial officers or JUSUN members.
However, the statement added that despite the governor’s compliance with the MoA, the Chief Judge has refused to implement her obligations, particularly the convening of JSC meetings, stressing that it is unjustifiable to hold Adeleke responsible for the continued strike when the Chief Judge has failed to act.