JUSUN, PASAN strike’ll end soon —FG

The Federal Government has expressed optimism that the strike of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) will end soon.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, stated this following a meeting between the government team and the two unions. A proposal believed to have contained how the demands of the union, financial autonomy of the judiciary and legislature at the state level, would be implemented was handed over to the leadership of the unions.

Ngige said the government had, therefore, made offers to the two unions for them to consult with their various National Executive Councils and revert.

According to Ngige, a lot of work went into the proposal, which substantially addressed their demands for judicial and legislative autonomy in the 36 states of the country.

The Minister explained that the proposal was produced by the committee of the government side, comprising the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), the Secretary of the Presidential Committee for the Implementation of Judicial and Legislative Autonomy, Senator Ita Enang, representative of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Director-General of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Ngige said, “A lot of work went in. We have exchanged briefs with the JUSUN and PASAN. They have their demands, which they had earlier submitted. The government side has given counter offers and properly addressed the burning issue of financial autonomy for state legislatures and judiciary.”

He explained that questions were asked and answered, while critical observations were made and explained, working on the proposal given by the government side.

Ngige said the meeting has been adjourned with a view to enabling JUSUN and PASAN to take back the government proposal to their members in their National Executive Committees.

“We expect them to work on the documents from tomorrow and if they are satisfied, they should inform us. And you know that when they are satisfied, the logical thing is to call off the industrial dispute. So, we are to receive their views on the government offer by Tuesday morning.

Ngige said overall, the discussions have been very fruitful, adding that they have moved from the initial position of ground zero, to ground 85.

He, however, appealed to the striking workers to return to work to enable the government to meet the remaining part of their demands.

“We cannot do this when the legislatures are closed in various states. We cannot also operationalise them when the courts are closed and heads of courts are not allowed into the courts or their offices.

“We have made documentation and statistics for the State Houses of Assembly to make appropriate laws. So, we plead that you open the courts and State Houses of Assembly.

“Besides, we are menaced by bandits, terrorists, and arsonists. With the courts closed, the police cannot tackle insecurity, ” Ngige said.

Responding, the Vice-Chairman of JUSUN, Comrade Emmanuel Abioye and the National President of PASAN, Mohammed Usman, said they were going back to meet with their National Executive Councils (NEC) to study the situation and consider the offers made before reverting to the Honourable Minister of Labour.

But Comrade Abioye said there was nothing to really negotiate about on the issue of financial autonomy of the judiciary and the union was not negotiating anything, adding that the issue was straight forward.

“It is a constitutional issue, it is well and expressly stated in the Nigerian Constitution and it is very clear and unambiguous. All we are waiting for is its implementation at the state level across the federation. We don’t need to negotiate this; so we are not negotiating with the government.”

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