Judicial staff at the Supreme Court, National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Federal High Court (FHC) have decided not to join the strike scheduled to start on Monday.
This decision comes despite a directive from the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), which had instructed its members in all federal courts and judicial bodies across the country to commence a work stoppage on that day.
In a communiqué signed by 12 key officials of the Supreme Court Chapter of JUSUN, led by Comrade Danladi Nda, the group stated that participating in the June 2 strike would be a misplaced priority, showing disregard for ongoing efforts and ultimately proving unproductive.
The Supreme Court staff explained their decision to withdraw from the strike, citing credible and confirmed assurances received following the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
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They noted that the CJN had already engaged with the presidency and formally presented their demands in a bid to ensure they are fully addressed.
“With the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s (CJN) commendable efforts, we owe her our full support to ensure that the expected allowances and other entitlements are paid promptly.
The stance of the lower sister courts on the planned nationwide strike is beyond our control in the Supreme Court, and proceeding with the strike would undermine the CJN’s work, putting it at risk and rendering it futile.
We urge our colleagues to remain calm and allow the CJN’s efforts to yield meaningful results.”
The communiqué also revealed that the Supreme Court Chapter of JUSUN has begun discussions with all federal chapters to reconsider and temporarily suspend the planned nationwide strike.
“We call on those determined to participate in the strike to exercise patience and cooperate with the CJN to achieve the desired outcome,” the statement added.
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“The CJN has secured firm assurances from various federal government agencies she engaged with, indicating that all issues will be resolved soon, making the strike unnecessary at this time.”
Similarly, the National Judicial Council (NJC), through a statement by Mr. Joel Ebiloma, Public Relations Officer of the JUSUN NJC Chapter, announced a two-week grace period granted to the relevant authorities to address the demands.
The union noted that the strike was paused to allow stakeholders to engage with the authorities.
This withdrawal is aimed at ensuring that the Accountant General of the Federation releases the judiciary’s statutory allocations according to the 2025 Appropriation, which includes arrears from the Wage Award, the minimum wage, and the 25% and 35% salary increments.
