Osun court workers protest
Osun court workers asked to stop protest. The national body of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has stated that it has never directed any of its members to protest in the midst of the ongoing dispute between Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, and the state administration.
It stated that no of its members should engage in any “illegal picketing, protest, or job boycotting whatsoever.”
The organization made the announcement in a circular signed by the Deputy President, Emmanuel Abioye (for the president), and made accessible to The PUNCH on Thursday.
“Our attention has been drawn to the unfortunate incidence of unrest currently pervading the Osun State Judiciary as a result of the activity of some unscrupulous elements causing confusion in the name of the union in the Osun State Judiciary,” the letter read in part.
“As a responsible union, the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria has never and will never take any perceived or real partisan position in any of its activities with individuals or organizations.”
“Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has never directed or approved that any of its members should proceed on any protest or picketing activity in Osun State Judiciary or any other state to settle any perceived or real political scores.”
The communique went on to say, “Consequently upon the above-highlighted position, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria hereby dissociates itself from any action taken so far by any set of people whatsoever under whatever guise and the national aecretariat views such action as a calculated attempt by some set of people to play cheap political games with the intent to blackmail the union and tarnish our good image and good reputation built over the years.”
Finally, the deputy president declared, “We, thereby, warn that under no guise should any of our members participate in any illegal picketing, protest, or job boycotting whatsoever.”
Previously, state judiciary workers accused Ojo of alleged abuse of office and high-handedness, a move facilitated by the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, who suspended Ojo from the position of the state’s CJ after obtaining the consent of the State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Wale Egbedun.
The state administration had put Justice Olayinka Afolabi in line to be appointed as acting Chief Justice, but his nomination did not go through.
However, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, stopped Adeleke from replacing Ojo as the substantive Chief Justice of the state.
The matter was adjourned until December 12, 2023, for the hearing of the pending motion on notice.
In response to the ongoing court situation, the state branch of JUSUN has been protesting the accusations leveled against CJ Ojo since Monday.
The protesting union members, led by the chairman of the state’s JUSUN, Gbenga Eludire, blocked the entrance to the State High Court in Osogbo, the state capital and prevented movement into the premises from 7 a.m.
Eludire stated that some members of the state union had been suspended for more than three years, while others had been suspended for roughly 59 months.
However, on Wednesday, the police on the premises subsequently fired teargas to disperse the protesters while those at the scene ran in different directions.
In his remarks, Eludire said, “Following the action of the police and attitude of the Chief Judge, I, Comrade Gbenga Eludire, hereby ordered that workers in the sector should withdraw their service till further notice.”