Judiciary staff workers resumed at their duty posts on Monday after an industrial action which lasted 21 days.
The workers had downed tools following a directive from their union leaders in protest against the refusal of state governments to obey a court order that would guarantee the financial independence of the judiciary.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on January 13, had directed that all allocations meant for the state judiciary should be paid directly to the heads of state courts.
Channels Television visited some courts across the country and though the turn out in most of the courts was still very low owing also to the fact that most workers had proceeded on their annual vacation, those who resumed said that they were happy to be back at work.
A visit to the state judiciary headquarters located at the Isabo area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, showed that some workers were back at their duty posts. The Chief Registrar of the state judiciary, Mr Olusola Oloyede said that the workers were happy about the suspension of the strike.
The Deputy National President of the Judiciary Staff Union, Mr Samuel Adesanya, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the union was however, quick to point out that the suspension was only temporary and the workers were ready to take further steps if Government defaults on the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the workers, agreeing to meet their demands within 45 working days.
The courts in Lagos, which have the busiest workloads also opened for business and in Abia State, a few workers turned up at the High Court complex located along Ikot-Ekpene Road, in Umuahia.
At the moment, those who have resumed would attend to urgent cases and assign hearing dates for other cases. The courts are expected to fully come alive by September, when a new legal year would commence and those away would return from the annual vacation.
