Funke Busari, Lagos
Lagos courts have resumed on Thursday as judicial staff called off its 23 day strike over demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary in the state.
The resumption followed a directive by the Administrative Department of the Lagos State Judiciary signed on Wednesday by Director, Administration and Human Resources, Kamal A. Sanusi.
The memo titled “Notice Of Resumption” directed to “all members of staff” stated: “In view of the communique issued by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Lagos State Branch on the 27th April, 2021, I have the directive to inform all members of staff to resume at their various duty post on Thursday, 29th April, 2021.”The memo further directed officers of the judiciary to be in office on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays of every week until further directive from the staff union.
As it is now, all the departments of the state judiciary were opened in compliance with the directive on Thursday unlike Tuesday and Wednesday when only the cash office was opened deponents were allowed into the court complex.
The court rooms within the Ikeja High Court complex and the Roseline Omotosho Court House were all opened while the registrars were seen behind their desks arranging case files in the various court rooms but judges are yet to commence sitting.
The JUSUN strike, according to a source said that it has affected the dates already scheduled for on-going and new cases before different judges of the two court houses.
The source further said judges would start sitting as soon as new dates are scheduled for case files in the different courts.
The cash office was opened to lawyers and deponents who have started thronging the courts to file new cases and depose to affidavits respectively
