JUSUN strike: NBA decries state of courts as Delta promises to implement financial autonomy law

The Forum of Branch Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Delta State, has thrown its weight behind the industrial action embarked upon by members of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), decrying the parlous state of courts in the state.

“We observe that the judicial infrastructure in Delta State is in a state that is occasioned by the challenge of inadequate funding, lack of requisite manpower and support staff, the absence of modern facilities in our courts of all levels,” the NBA chairmen forum stated.

Chairman, Forum of Branch Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Uti, who led his colleagues from other branches to team up with members of JUSUN and PASAN in a peaceful protest to Government House, Asaba, on Monday, commended their efforts in the struggle for financial autonomy for the judiciary in Nigeria.

Uti, who’s also NBA chairman, Warri branch, emphasised that NBA would not shift ground in its support for JUSUN and PASAN in the state, noting that the Delta State Judiciary Fund Management (Financial Autonomy) Law, 2019, has created the enabling environment and established the requisite structures to give effect to judicial autonomy in the state.

He, however, wondered why Governor Okowa has refused to summon the courage and the will power to implement the law since 2019.

“We find that there is an absence of the requisite political will to release revenue meant for the State Judiciary as a first-line charge on the State revenue allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“It is our firm belief that, until the revenue of the State Judiciary becomes the first-line charge and is frontally released to the State Judiciary the same way the funds of the State Legislature is released, the efforts of the State Government would only be reasonably interpreted as scratching the surface of the financial autonomy question.

“Our courts require functional aids like recording devices, and most particularly, self-acquired functional operational vehicles for our Judges, Magistrates, Heads of Customary Courts, Revenue Court Judges, as well as other departments in the Judiciary.

“The absence of these rudimentary aids have rendered a number of novel provisions in our Laws unenforceable. For instance, the absence of official vehicles for Magistrates in Delta State has led to the non-enforcement of the provisions of our criminal laws relating to periodic inspection of Police detention facilities towards ensuring respect for and due observance of the human rights of detainees,” he lamented.

In their separate speeches, the State Chairman of JUSUN, Comrade Austin Chiejine and the representative of PASAN, Comrade Oghenerhoboke Penn vowed not to resume work until the financial autonomy was implemented in the state.

Responding, the Delta State government has said no effort would be spared in the full implementation of financial autonomy of the judiciary in the state.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor (SAN), gave the promise on behalf of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa while addressing members of the NBA, JUSUN and PASAN.

Mr Mrakpor said that the bill for financial autonomy of the judiciary was passed into law in the state in March 2020, stressing that the state government has put the autonomy request in the first line charge in the Internally Generated Revenue of the state.

He assured the protesters that all grey areas for full implementation was on course and urged them to remain peaceful and law-abiding in pressing home their demands.

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