Worried by the protracted strike action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Osun State chapter, Governor Ademola Adeleke has called on the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, to resolve the industrial dispute.
The courts in Osun State have been shut down since November, 2023, thus frustrating the operation of the third arm of government in the state.
Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that the governor has set up a seven-man committee to urgently resolve the industrial dispute.
“The Governor is also sending a briefing letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, calling for support to resolve the industrial dispute.
“The Governor in the letters briefed the top judicial officials on his efforts so far to get the crisis resolved despite the fact that the bone of contention is pure judicial staff matters.
“The Committee led by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, is to find a lasting solution to the crisis within the judiciary within seven days, Mr. Governor further directed,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the major opposition party in the state, All Progressives Congress and the governing party, People’s Democratic Party, have traded blame over the continuous shutdown of the judicial arm of government in the state.
The chairman of APC, Tajudeen Lawal alleged that Adeleke’s administration has been the promoter and sponsor of the strike in order to get at the state Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo whom he had wanted to remove.
Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, “told Adeleke that his administration would not be devoid of challenges as long as he is running the government as his private enterprise with its headquarters in his family’s Ede country home.”
“Lawal queried Adeleke why he hurriedly announced his willingness to be instrumental to end the over three months old judicial staff industrial strike which has paralyzed all the courts in the state immediately Ebun Adegboruwa SAN pointed out the copious unconstitutional activities of Adeleke through the state JUSUN endless strike last week.
“The state APC chairman stated that his party wholeheartedly identified with all the submissions of the legal luminary about the ongoing strike of Osun State judicial staff,” the statement read.
Reacting, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, said “APC is not happy that Governor Ademola Adeleke is ramping up efforts to resolve the protracted judicial strike action in the state. The opposition is satisfied that the courts are locked down and the party preferred that there should be no settlement between the union and the leadership of the state judiciary.
“We condemn the above unpatriotic position of the opposition as openly canvassed in a statement the opposition released this Sunday and we commend Governor Ademola Adeleke for his courage, broad mind, and responsiveness to intervene in the industrial disputes.”
