Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
Worried by the protracted strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Osun State chapter the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has set up a seven-man committee to urgently resolve the industrial dispute.
The governor has also sent a briefing letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, calling for their support to resolve the industrial dispute.
Adeleke in the letters briefed the top judicial officials on his efforts so far to get the crisis resolved despite the fact that the bone of contention is pure judicial staff matters.
The committee led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon Teslim Igbalaye, is to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the judiciary within seven days, governor further directed.
The new intervention by Governor Adeleke followed his previous efforts, which included payment of withheld salaries of some judicial staff, negotiation on wardrobe allowances and the recent hosting of the national leadership of the judicial staff union.
Adeleke said he is setting up the committee with a direct mandate to get this dispute resolved whatever it might take, noting that his action is to restore normalcy and not to interfere in the judicial arm of government.
According to him, “We are being careful all along not to be accused of meddling in judicial matters. But it is now almost an emergency. We must get the issues ironed out.
“I told the national leadership of JUSUN to mediate. I am also reaching out to the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice. We need to get our courts running for regular dispensation of justice.”
