JUDICIARY STRIKE: Chief Registrar chased away from court premises

                   

LAGOS—The strike action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, took a disturbing turn yesterday as the striking union officials chased away the Chief Registrar to the Lagos State High Court and locked out Judges from their courtrooms.

Inquest suffers setback

The strike action also took its toll on the ongoing coroner’s inquest investigating the causes of multiple death at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, guest house last year.

The work to rule by the striking workers that commenced on Monday, according to them was to fight for the independence of the judiciary.

This is the seventh time that the workers, will embark on such action but has yielded no result except promises from the authorities.



In some instances, there were differences over such actions among the workers in the state judiciary and the Federal judiciary, where the latter refused to join the action until they were compelled by JUSUN officials.

As at yesterday, some of the officials of the JUSUN, who were said to have come from Abuja to supervise the action locked all gates into the court premises with keys and chains.

The height of their action, was when the workers vehemently refused the plea to enter the premises by the state High Court Chief Registrar, Mr Olugbenga Ogundare, accompanied by the High Court Internal Auditor and Director of Finance and Administration who arrived the premises at about 9.05 am.


Judge rebuffed

Also, a Judge, (name withheld) was rebuffed by those officials mounting the gate, who insisted that the Judge cannot enter into the premises, maintaining that proper notices were served before the commencement of the action.

Efforts to speak with the Registrar was futile as he said he was not ready to talk on the issue.

Already, the strike action has affected so many cases and other ancillary matters such as families whose wills were meant to be read yesterday by probate officials.


Bank’s fate

Also, a branch of the Skye Bank located within the court premises were shut out of business.

Meanwhile, further proceedings into the coroner investigating the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church, Ikotun, Lagos was stalled as well.

The coroner presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe had on December 23, 2014 adjourned till January 6, 2015.

The inquest was instituted under the Lagos State Coroner’s System Law No. 7 of 2007 to unravel the cause of the building collapse which had a total of 116 allegedly killed when the six-storey building collapsed on September 12, 2014.





Credit: vanguardngr.com