By Jude Michael
Courts in Anambra State on Tuesday remained under lock and keys, owing to the strike action by members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Anambra State Branch.
The strike crippled activities in all the courts in all parts of the state, leaving the premises of the judiciary deserted.
JUSUN had last weekend declared a strike, following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum by the union.
In a strike notification letter signed by the Assistant Secretary of JUSUN in the state, Nwezi Ugochukwu, the Union said the reason for the strike was because of Anambra State Government’s refusal to pay the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS).
When Trinitas visited the State Judiciary Complex in Awka, the entire complex was locked without any trace of a single worker.
Some stakeholders of the justice sector in the state decried the nonchalance of the governor in dealing with the workers.
A judiciary staff who pleaded for anonymity said: ‘Now that the courts have been paralyzed, maybe government will now be forced to negotiate with us.
‘This matter has lingered since 2011 when we had an agreement with government, and again in 2015, but all these have been ignored.
‘Even the 21-day ultimatum we handed government before embarking on this strike, they ignored it.’