Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, has begged the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, to pay the January salary of judiciary workers in the state.

There had been speculations that the governor was unwilling to pay the workers, who had shunned work in January to protest against non-compliance with a court judgment upholding financial autonomy for the judiciary.

The industrial action, which lasted for over three weeks, was ordered by the National Executive Committee of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, the umbrella body of all judiciary workers in the country.

It was learnt that Fashola had hinted that the workers did not deserve to be paid for the month of January, since they had stayed off work for the better part of the month.

But Atilade, on Tuesday, pleaded with the governor to release the workers’ salary, asking him to note that the workers had demonstrated maturity and understanding by calling off the strike, which was still in force in many other states.

The CJ also implored the governor to give effect to the autonomy of the judiciary as provided for in the Constitution.

Atilade made the public plea on Tuesday at the commissioning and handing over of new courtrooms for judges and magistrates in Ikeja.

She said, “We use this medium to appeal to Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN, to give the Lagos State judiciary its financial autonomy as provided for under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We also make a very passionate appeal to His Excellency to release the January salary of judiciary staff, who went on a nationwide strike with their colleagues.

“Your Excellency, the workers saw the need to call off the ongoing nationwide JUSUN’s strike; other states are still on strike but they are being paid. Your Excellency, January was a tough month for everybody.”

Atilade, however, lauded the Fashola-led administration for its commitment to the welfare of the judiciary, noting that the new courtrooms would further help to speed up the administration of justice in the state.

Fashola at the same event however said that he had never withheld the autonomy of the judiciary.

“I don’t think that as an individual, I am withholding the independence of the judiciary. In the course of my duty, I have never done anything to undermine the independence of the judiciary,” he replied the CJ.

The governor, who described the shutting down of courts by the JUSUN’s strike as one of the dangerous signs of a failing state, said the strike was unfortunate and asked whether a strike was the right means of enforcing a court’s judgement.

He said, “If there is any moment when I felt that we are sitting on a keg of gun powder it was during the JUSUN strike. It meant that citizens’ rights were being trampled upon.

“When the judicial system shuts down, it is a dangerous sign and it happened, in my view, because we did not explore the other means. Yes, a judgement has been given, but is that the final court?”

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