After about two weeks of the indefinite strike embarked upon by judicial officials in Ondo State, the coalition of magistrates, presidents of Grade A customary courts and legal research officers of the state’s judiciary suspended the industrial action.

According to the leaders of the coalition, Mrs O. Edwin, Mr Degun Rotiba, and Mrs Agbomola, the suspension became imperative following a series of meetings with the state government.

Courts in the state had been under lock and key for over two weeks following the industrial action embarked upon by magistrates, presidents of Grade ‘A’ customary courts, and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

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.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, the state capital, the demands of the coalition, which included financial autonomy of the judiciary were extensively deliberated upon at the meetings.

With the agreements reached on the demands of the coalition and commitment towards immediate implementation, members of the coalition were urged to resume duties on Tuesday, January 20, 2025.

The statement reads: “Upon the withdrawal of services by members of the coalition, there were a series of meetings and engagements with the executive arm of government over the immediate demands of the coalition and the issue of financial autonomy for Ondo judiciary.”

“The engagements were conducted by critical stakeholders, including the coalition, JUSUN, and government. All pressing issues of official cars for magistrates, presidents of Grade A customary courts, and the new salary structure for magistrates, presidents and legal research officers were considered.”

Meanwhile, the impact of the industrial action had been severe, as the striking judicial workers accuse the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Kayode Ajulo (SAN), and the Commissioner for Finance, Omowumi Isaac, of strangling the judicial arm of government by withholding its financial autonomy.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, had lamented that the strike led to suspects who ought to be charged in court being released.