True to their words, judiciary workers in Kwara State began yesterday an indefinite strike to press home their demand for the resignation of the Chief Judge, Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeb who has just been reinstated into office two weeks ago, some three years after she was sacked by the state government.

The resolve of the workers, under the aegis of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) came against the backdrop of calls by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Alhaji Ali Ahmad, for the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene in the crisis which has entered its second week now.

Ahmad, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, who now represents Ilorin East/South in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, noted that since the Supreme Court decision that reinstated Elelu-Habeeb did not speak on the allegations against her but only faulted the process of her removal, and given the current spate of conflict between the CJ and the judicial workers, there was the need for the NJC to convene a stakeholders’ meeting towards resolving the conflict.

The commencement of the indefinite strike followed the expiration of the one-week warning strike by the workers. 

All gates leading to the High Court premises remained under lock when our reporter visited the place yesterday. 

The National body of the union has argued that the strike is illegal while the state’s branch of the NLC claimed that it had not been asked to be involved in the industrial dispute.

Chairperson of the state JUSUN, Mrs. Folake Laaro, told our reporter yesterday that while the union was not against Ali’s suggestions, the workers were of the view that government’s intervention may not yield any fruitful result as a similar intervention before the now illegal sack of the CJ had not yielded anything positive, adding that it was the CJ’s then alleged refusal to heed government’s advice that led to the  crisis in the first place.

Her words: "We begin the indefinite strike today, yes, but we still insist and want to point out that we are not against the judgement of the Supreme Court. As we said earlier, it is a judgement that should be celebrated and we commend the industry of their Lordships who looked into the matter. But what we are saying is that we cannot work with the CJ because of her behaviour.  It is he who wears the shoe that knows where it pinches.

"On the call for NJC intervention, I have not seen or heard what the Honourable said so, I cannot comment appropriately now but let me state that if the NJC calls us, then we shall respond appropriately. We don’t believe that the state government can persuade the CJ to change her attitude. Don’t forget that her problems then escalated because of her refusal to heed government’s advice in the first place."

Ali, had while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital on Sunday night, noted that while all stakeholders must respect the decision of the apex court, there was also the need to look into the grievances of the workers and if genuine, find a way out of it.

His words: "The Supreme Court has ruled and my position is that it should stand. But on the other hand, the workers have their complaints and within the confines of the Constitution, they have the right to do so, if it is not violent. They might be going through the wrong way but my belief is that if implementing the Supreme Court decision is problematic because of the history of the CJ,  then the stakeholders should come together and discuss because it is affecting many innocent people.

"If the allegations against the CJ are true, they are not befitting of a judicial officer. Note that the Supreme Court only faulted the procedure that led to her sack then, it did not absolve the CJ of the allegations. And don’t forget that she had problems with the Nigerian Bar Association then and not the state government. Therefore, there should be a meeting of the NBA, JUSUN and the state government. I believe the state government is being careful in the matter not to be seen as interfering and that is why I believe it is the NJC that should call the meeting.

"If the complaints against her are so terrible that there is no way out, then there are other things the NJC could do; it can elevate her for instance or something else. Whatever it is, I believe somebody should take action on the matter and I believe it is the NJC that has the constitutional power to wade into the matter."