Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has set up a seven-man committee to urgently resolve the indefinite industrial action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, in the state.
A statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, released on Sunday in Osogbo, said Adeleke also sent a briefing letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, calling for support to resolve the industrial dispute.
According to the statement: “The Governor, in the letters, briefed the top judicial officials on his efforts so far to get the crisis resolved, despite the fact that the bone of contention is pure judicial staff matters.”
The statement added: “The Committee led by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Teslim Igbalaye, is to find a lasting solution to the crisis within the judiciary within seven days, Mr Governor further directed.”
The new intervention by Governor Adeleke, according to the statement, follows his previous efforts, which include “payment of withheld salaries of some judicial staff, negotiation on wardrobe allowances, and recent hosting of the national leadership of the judicial staff union.”
The governor revealed that he is setting up the committee with a direct mandate to get this dispute resolved, whatever it takes, noting that his action is to restore normalcy and not interfere in the judicial arm of government.
The statement quoted the governor, saying: “We are being careful all along not to be accused of meddling in judicial matters. But it is now almost an emergency. We must get the issues ironed out.
“I told the national leadership of JUSUN to mediate. I am also reaching out to the Attorney General and the Chief Justice. We need to get our courts running for regular dispensation of justice.”
