ONDO JUDICIARY SHUTS DOWN AS JUSUN BEGINS INDEFINITE STRIKE OVER FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Judicial activities across Ondo State were brought to a complete halt on Friday as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ondo State chapter, commenced an indefinite strike over the state government’s failure to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary.

Court premises, including the Akure Division of the State High Court and Magistrates’ Court, were firmly locked, with judges, lawyers, and litigants turned away. Legal proceedings across the 18 local government areas of the state have been suspended indefinitely.

Speaking to journalists, Ondo JUSUN Chairman, Oluwafemi Afolabi, confirmed the union’s action, stating that the strike followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the state government.

“We have directed all our members to stay off duty starting from today, June 13, 2025, till further notice,” Afolabi said. “All courts across the 18 LGAs are shut down due to the failure of the government to honor key terms in the Memorandum of Understanding granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.”

The union had issued the ultimatum last week, urging Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to fulfill long-standing agreements outlined in the MOU, particularly regarding the release of funds to ensure judicial independence.

JUSUN Secretary Kehinde Alade, in a statement announcing the strike, expressed disappointment over the government’s prolonged inaction. “Regrettably, the state government has reneged on certain parts of the agreements. This continuous refusal has adversely affected our members. We can no longer wait aimlessly,” the statement read.

Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kayode Ajulo, were unsuccessful. However, an aide disclosed that a meeting between JUSUN officials and the state government on Wednesday ended in a deadlock, with both parties failing to reach a resolution.

The strike adds to the growing tension between the state’s judiciary workers and the government, with no clear resolution in sight.