140 Judges Embark on Indefinite Strike in Plateau
Seriki Adinoyi
At least 140 judges of the Sharia, Area and Customary Courts of Nigeria serving in Plateau State have embarked an indefinite strike over non-payment of dressing allowances owed them for nine years.
The judges, under the aegis of Sharia, Area and Customary Court Judges Association of Nigeria (SACCJAN), Plateau State chapter, had issued a twoweek ultimatum to Governor Simon Lalong on May 23, 2017. The ultimatum expired on the 16th without a response from the state government.
The Chairman of SACCJAN, Ayuba Danzel, and secretary, Frank Lojok, in the strike notice, had lamented the discrimination in the payment of dressing allowances which their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice had been enjoying.
Danzel said: “We, the entire judges of the lower court bench, do unanimously give 14-day ultimatum for the payment of our outstanding dressing allowances which have not been paid for about nine years.
“In the event where our demands are not met within the said 14 days, we shall be left with no other option than to down tools and commence on a strike till our demands are complied with.”
He said although SACCJAN had consulted constituted authorities on the matter, no concrete step had been taken towards resolving the abnormalities, adding that the organisation is left with no alternative but to issue a 14-day ultimatum to notify the governor of their impending action.
Addressing journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting yesterday, Danzel, reiterated that they were left with no option.
“Since government has failed to pay us our outstanding dressing allowances for the past nine years, and its refusal to heed to several appeals and the most recent ultimatum given, we have resolved to embark on an indefinite strike from this day, June 14, 2017 till our demands are fully met.
Danzel added: “We, the 140 judges will be going to our respective offices as required, but there will be no court sitting until we are paid our outstanding nine years dressing allowances.
He said judiciary staff and state Assembly workers, who were owed similar allowances, were promptly paid, but that the state government singled out Sharia, Area and Customary Court judges and refused to pay them till date.