JUSUN Rejects The Demotion of 20 Reinstated Staff, Withholding of Their One Year Salary by Nasarawa  CJ

Rabiu Omaku

• Section 5 (3) Of Labour Act Takes Care Of Dues-President

The National President of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Comrade Marwan Usman in an exclusive interview with universalreportersng.com condemned in its entirety the demotion of one grade level of 20 embattled members of the Union, Nasarawa State wing by the State Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Umaru Dikko who was recently reinstated by the Nasarawa State Judicial Service Commission.

 

Marwan stated this during a chat at the headquarters of JUSUN at Area one Cadastral Zone B,Durumi, the nation’s capital.

 

The President who described the position of the Nasarawa State Judicial Service Commission headed by the Chief Judge as Chairman as a faulty decision at the wrong direction.

 

According to him, “how do you expect fairness in this matter where the Chief Judge was claiming he was wronged by the same parties and you expect justice for those people, is not possible, what I expect is that the C.J should step aside and appoint a neutral people to preside over the meeting of JSC because Justice Suleiman Umaru Dikko can’t be a Judge in a matter involving him”.

 

“Justice Suleiman Umaru Dikko can’t be a judge on his own matter, for this single reason the national secretariat reject the outcome of JSC meeting denying our reinstated staff their one year salary, he added.

 

Comrade Marwan said the decision was a total aberration of civil service rules and regulations, adding that due process was not followed by the Judicial Service Commission, asking  pertinent question about the whereabouts of the one year unpaid salary of 20 reinstated staff whom he said are languishing in untold hardship.

 

“I will like to ask the Chief Judge the whereabouts of 11 months’ salary of my embattled staff, was the monies remitted to the coffers of the State Government or the High court”.

 

“Upon all the exigencies in High court there was no single communication to the national secretariat instead the Chief Judge is using the mass media like radio and newspapers to communicate to us,there is no decorum at all when he dismissed them as well reinstated them with stiff penalties”.

 

While responding to the position of JSC withdrawing from collecting dues for the Union,the President asserted that the collection of dues by High court been the employer of JUSUN is a constitutional matter quoting section 5 (3) of the Labour Act Cap L1 paragraph 4.

 

“The above section of labour law has taken over the whole lacuna surrounding the collection of dues for a Union as the law specify that the employer of a member of any trade Union shall deduct dues of it members and remit to the leadership of such Association”.

 

Mustapha Marwan Adamu confided that the decision of JSC is not in conformity with the existing Labour Act on the issues of check-up dues, urging the Chief Judge to do the needful for the interest of industrial harmony.

 

Reacting over the demotion of the affected staff with one grade level who were acussed of disrupting C.J’s court on November 13,2018 as unhealthy decision by Justice Dikko despite the intervention of the State Governor,Engr.Abdullahi Alhaji.Sule,the Emir of Lafia, Retired Justice Sidi Bage,former NLC Chairman, Abdullahi Adeka as a respect to constituted authorities.

 

The President of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria affirmed that the strike embarked by the Union in November last year was a legal strike endorsed by the national secretariat,describing the lingering strike as quit unfortunate.

 

“Quote me precisely Journalist,why was the Chief Judge abandoning the main issues that ignited the strike and nagging on disruption of court proceeding by protesting staff,the real issue was the resistance of illegal deduction which was established by a report of a committee submitted in May 2018 where by N13,000,000 was recovered through illegal deduction to cover some wrongdoings,That is what translate to the whole thing but was twisted to attacking him in his court,but I’m pleased to inform you that he confided to me when I visited him in Lafia that JUSUN Chairman and his officials did not pounce into his court,the same reinstated staff were not served their query letters either which those letters were communicated to the national secretariat.

 

It might interest you to know that the Chief Judge drag JUSUN to the National Industrial Court compelling us to suspend our strike but the court advice us to come back and settle our differences amicably.

 

Commenting over the existence of concerned members of JUSUN,The President called on members to unite for the interest of peace and welfare of members, saying a crack in the Union would do more harm to the Association.

 

On the tenure of elected officials especially the leadership of the Union under Jimoh Musa,Comrade Marwan opined that the Constitution of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria gave an individual the right to contest for many times as possible if he was re-elected by members.

 

“How does the re-election of Jimoh affect the Chief Judge who is not our member ? Our constitution passes through series of amendment and approved by national officers and announced to members six months before our delegate conference” he explained.

 

The President appreciate the prompt intervention of the State Governor Engr.Sule,the Emir of Lafia, retired Justice Sidi Bage,the former State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress,Comrade Abdullahi Adeka and other critical stakeholders for their intervention.

 

Marwan declined comment over the autonomy of Judiciary workers.