Law News
Judiciary workers want ruling on fiscal autonomy implemented

Judiciary workers nationwide, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, have accused the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) of selective implementation of court judgments.

The workers noted that Adoke was quick to demand the immediate implementation of the judgment on the governorship position in Adamawa State on September 8, 2014 but failed to do the same for the judgment of the same court, which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary since January 13, 2014.

Incidentally both judgments were delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja.

President of JUSUN, Mr. Marwan Adamu, said this in a reaction to the letter written by Adoke directing the immediate swearing in of the former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngilari, as the substantive governor, in line with the judgment delivered on September 8.

Adamu, who commended Adoke for taking such step in ensuring the enforcement of the court judgment in Adamawa case, said the minister as the nation’s chief law officer seemed to have woken up to his constitutional duties.

The JUSUN boss therefore urged Adoke to immediately replicate the same gesture in ensuring that the judgment on the financial autonomy status of the judiciary was immediately implemented.

Adamu’s statement read, “We appreciate the directive by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, instructing him to comply with the judgement of Federal High Court, Abuja.

“We also want to say that since the Minister of Justice has just woken up to his constitutional responsibility now on the Adamawa governorship crisis, he should also replicate same on the judgment that was delivered by the same judge on JUSUN case against the governors on the financial autonomy of the judiciary as the chief law officer by giving the Accountant General of the Federation directive to comply with the court judgement.

“We are hoping that he instructs him to that effect as soon as possible because since January 13 till date the Accountant General of the Federation is yet to comply with that judgment, especially in regard to the provision of section 162, sub-section 9 of the 1999 constitution as amended.”

The non-implementation of the judgment on the financial autonomy for the judiciary led to the union’s recent strike for three weeks, which started on July 11, 2014.

The union had called off the strike after stakeholders signed a Memorandum of Understanding promising to ensure the implementation of the judgment within 45 days.

The union recently put on hold its plan to embark on fresh strike on October 2 due to ongoing “discussions” on the issue.

On why the union shelved the planned strike, Adamu said “it was due to the interventions by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu; Minister of State Finance, Bashir Yuguda, who is also the Chairman of the Federation Account Allocation Commission, and host of other stakeholders.”

He maintained that the union was committed to the independent and financial autonomy of the judiciary as an arm of government.

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