JUSUN strike: Court fixes March 4 to hear Awomolo's originating summons

THE Ibadan Division of the National Industrial Court ( NIC), yesterday, fixed March 4, 2024, to hear the originating summons of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria ( SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo, over the strike in the Osun State judiciary for about three months.

The strike has crippled activities of the judiciary in the state.

Justice Dele Peters of the NIC announced the date after listening to arguments from counsel to parties in the case on Monday.

It would be recalled that the Osun State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria ( JUSUN) had, on November 22, 2023, down tools over the unlawful suspension of five of its members by the Chief Judge of the state, stoppage of staff training since 2015, inadequate implementation of staff promotion, advancement and regularisation, non- payment of wardrobe allowances to judiciary workers, as well as poor working conditions and poor maintenance of court infrastructure.

According to the union, the five members were suspended for periods running into 57 months and 46 months respectively with all efforts to recall them proving abortive. Awomolo, in his originating summons, dated January 30, 2024, is seeking, among others, a declaration that the first and second defendants lacked the vires to whimsically in the exercise of untrammelled powers, to arbitrarily, unlawfully and unreasonably declare and maintain industrial action in the Judiciary of Osun State, thereby paralysing the entire judiciary of Osun State from November 2023 to January 24, 2024.