NBA URGES STRIKING JUDICIAL WORKERS TO CALL OFF STRIKE
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Warri branch, has expressed deep concern over the lingering strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Delta State chapter and pleaded that the action be called off to save the judicial system in the state.
In a statement issued and signed on behalf of the Association by Barrister Gweke Akudihor and Francis Okala, Chairman and Publicity Secretary respectively, the body also deplored the action which has brought untold hardship to Deltans.
According to the association, all strata of courts in the past two weeks the strike started, have automatically culminated into total collapse of activities in the Justice administration system.
The association is particularly pained by the hardship being encountered by a lot of accused persons who are languishing in police cell and prison custody without having access to the courts for justice.
'This ugly scenario cannot be allowed to continue as same has the capacity to lead to break down of law and order as the people will be encouraged to resort to self help and introduction of anarchy', stressed the association.
Consequently, the association after a brain storming deliberation on the worrisome issue therefore resolved that the striking union was unnecessarily hasty in taking decision as it did not exhaust all the mechanism for the resolution of a trade dispute as provided for by conventions and extant laws of the land before embarking on the unfortunate action.
'It is equally unfortunate that the state government has not shown the necessary understanding and responsibility in the matter. It has allowed the matter to drag on painfully without fruitfully engaging the striking workers to resolve the issues that culminated into the strike action', said the association in their two page statement.
On the way forward, the Lawyers requested the workers to immediately call off the strike while their doors be left opened for further negotiation between the union and the state government just as it urged government to do the needful thing by engaging the union in discussion in order to bring the unfortunate action to amicable end.
'It is our hope that both parties to this dispute should appreciate the importance of ending the crisis immediately to avoid a total collapse of the administration of judicial system', remarked the lawyers who offered to mediate in resolving the issues.