Judiciary Sliding into Crisis without Hope of Recovery, NBA Laments

The Committee of Chairmen of the Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Anambra State at the weekend lamented that the justice was gradually sliding into a destructive dungeon with no hope of recovery. The committee, comprising eight branches of NBA in the state, said the over dependence of the judiciary, as an arm of government, on the executive “is killing the justice sector. This is capable of breeding anarchy in the country.” The committee expressed this concern at a news conference its Chairman, Mr. Kingsley Awuka addressed on Friday in Nnewi on the ongoing nationwide strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Awuka said the committee “is worried about the on-going nation-wide strike action embarked upon by JUSUN which has now lasted for more than one week with no hope of its end in sight. “The governors of the 36 states have deliberately subjected the judicial arm of government to their subservient appendage. This grossly unconstitutional situation has in turn eroded the autonomy and independence of the judiciary and led to infrastructural and human resource deficit. “The justice sector of our country is progressively sliding into the destructive dungeon with no hope in sight of its recovery,” the committee lamented. The committee read out a resolution, backing JUSUN in the strike, pledging to support it in the action, including mobilising a protest that would compel the government to listen to the union’s cries, if the right thing was not done.

The resolution said: “The committee fully lends its support to the demands of JUSUN and shall sustain this support until the demands are met.

“The committee calls on all the 36 state governors of the federation, particularly the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie

Obiano, to immediately commence the implementation of the provisions of the constitution as it relates to the financial autonomy of the judiciary.