Nasarawa JUSUN Strike: 20 Dismissed Executives, Others Know Fate October 16th -Chief Judge
- Clears Air On JUSUN Ten Months Old Strike And Other Untold Stories
Rabiu Omaku
The Chairman of Nasarawa Judicial Service Commission, Justice Suleiman Umar Dikko has said Commission would determine the fate of the twenty dismissed executive of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Nasarawa State Chapter ten months ago.
The Chief Judge maintained that the ongoing imbroglio between JUSUN members and his office as he expressed dismay over the invasion of his court disrupting proceedings as an aberration and disrespect to court.
Dikko described the protest as a calculated attempt to ridicule his hard-earned personality which he said succeeded in building in the last fifty years.
“The crux of the matter was that JUSUN Chairman has personalized the issues by robbing my integrity with fictitious allegations of illegal deductions as he denied the claimed cornering a dine that belongs to his staff.
“All what JUSUN are saying was a misinformation that I’m diverting their money ranging from deduction from our salaries, scraping of customary courts and amongst other frivolous allegations leveled against my person as he explained further.
“What we are doing on the issue of increased and reduction of salaries by some gullible account officers was that all those whose salaries were shot up we decided that no refund should be made by the beneficiaries but for those that were under paid we are paying them back their salaries legally.
Justice Aisha,a renowned jurist while shedding more light on what transpired in the ongoing imbroglio explained that no amount of money was deducted from staff of High Court as rightly speculated by JUSUN.
“What we did was proper placement but not Illegal deduction
“There was a time JUSUN Chairman and his officials contacted me and I gave approval for the release of N8m as well paid N2m for their Union bus, we paid this through our overhead cost and we are left with nothing
Over N2m Deducted Monthly As JUSUN check-off Dues
The Chief Judge confided that that over N2m was deducted monthly from staff salaries as check-off dues, indicating that members of the Union unanimously agreed that the deduction should stop.
Agreement Between Judiciary Staff of Nigeria (JUSUN) . Magistrate Association of Nigeria (MAN).Area Court Judges and Members Association of Nigeria (ACJMAN) and Management of High Court of Justice on The Implementation of Annual Increment and Promotions
The above Associations held a meeting between JAC, an umbrella body of the various Industrial Unions in the Judiciary comprises of the above Unions in the chamber of the Honorable Chief Judge on 17th February,2017 on her demands for the Implementation of Annual Increment and Promotions, It is hereby agreed as follows;
Implementation of
- Increment for the year 2016 shall be implemented effective February 2017 salaries to all deserving staff of the High Court of Justice.
2.In view of the lean resource available in the High Court of Justice occasioned by implementation of Annual Increment, all conferences, seminars, dressing allowances and the like would be suspended until such a time that funds are available.
3.All batches of pending promotions for 2016 shall be paid when financial backing is obtain from Government , equally , promotions , interviews, shall henceforth be conducted and letters released to deserving staff for their retention until appropriation regarding same in the budget and it’s financial backing is made available for their Implementation.
- Parties to this agreement shall work towards harmonious working relationship and smooth running of High Court of Justice.
- No staff shall be victimized for participating in the struggle to achieve the stated objective.
The agreement was duly signed by the Chief Registrar, Sunday Bawa on behalf of the Management of High Court while Comrade Jimoh Musa signed for as the State Chairman of JUSUN.
Others that signed the also include Victor Maga as the Chairman of MAN and Albert Maga signed as ACJMAN Chairman respectively.
Other Untold Stories
The Chairman of JUSUN, according to the Chief Judge, Suleiman Umar Dikko revealed that Comrade Jimoh Musa was the major problem of the Association which he said the Chairman was on the stool of for over ten years.
Other allegations leveled against Jimoh also include the sales of plot of land belonging to a court in Mararaban Gurku to Oceanic Bakery, says Justice Dikko.
The Chief Judge also accused some staff of Judiciary at Karu axis of using fake receipts, saying huge amount of money go down the drain as Internally Generated Revenue, Justice Aisha stated this.
“We now realized more money as fines from court instead of the usual N6,000 but now I can beat my chest that we generate huge revenue” said Aisha.
He said seventy staff of High also absconded from duty since the November strike embarked by JUSUN, adding that he has applied no work no pay on the affected staff.
“JSC has resolved that if any of such person’s report back is welcome but would not be considered for any arrears of salaries rather would continue on no work no pay”
He also debunked the allegation of collecting money for the supply of furniture for the new High court complex build and commissioned by the former Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.
“No dine was collected for furniture, as I’m talking to you people the complex is yet to be handed over to us, we only learnt that the immediate past governor did not complete the payment of the project, though we are not involved in any way, he added.
The Chief Judge attributed some of the predicament of High court to include paucity of funds.
Speaking on the dues of JUSUN, he buttressed that the High court is remitting N2.5m monthly to the Union.
“Members of JUSUN approached us and resisted the monthly deduction from their salaries as dues from the source”.
Commenting on the deduction of money from salaries which was the crux of the barely one year strike describing the happening as “PROPER PLACEMENT” not illegal deduction.
“Some staff from account section wrongly increases salaries of staff and JSC resolved that all those that benefited from such should make refund while those who are under pay should be refunded back their monies”
Jimoh Musa,JUSUN Chairman described the position of the Chief Judge as mere allegations lacking substance, he said he has no hand in any land deal belonging to the State Government at Mararaban Gurku.
“The plot of land issue was during the reign of Justice Ahmed Ubangari, the former Chief Judge, is true he attested.
On the circulation of fake receipts, Jimoh also debunked the allegation that he connived with fake staff to circulate fake receipts.
Musa accused the Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Umar Dikko for illegal deduction of their salaries.
The Chairman further averred that the unabated strike is legally signed by the President of the Union, Comrade Marwan.
