JUSUN Strike: Slam Visa Ban On Govs, Family Members, Group Tells US, UK, Canada

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, May 5th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER)- Against the backdrop of refusal of Nigeria’s state governors to observe the constitutional provisions for the funding of the judicial Arm of government in the country, which led to the ongoing strike by Judiciary Staff union of Nigeria, (JUSUN), a human Rights organization, Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network, (CRRAN) has urged the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada to slam Visa ban on the said governors and their families.

Aside the 34 governors that have refused to obey the constitutional provisions, the organization also asked the three foreign nations to equally extend the sanction to their family members, as well as Attorney – Generals of the affected states.

The body in a petition addressed to the Ambassador, United States Embassy in Nigeria and High Commissioners of Uk and Canada, posited that the continued industrial action by the Judicial workers has done serious harm to the Nigerian nation, appealing to the foreign nations to urgently intervene on the matter.

CRRAN, in the petition made available to African Examiner Wednesday, jointly signed buy its president, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and a member of its National Advisory Council, Dr. Danjuma Gambo, declared that the continued lockdown of the Nigeria Courts due to the development constitutes a grave assault on the nation’s constitution.

The petition read: “We Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) writes to you in respect of the the above-mentioned matter.

It noted that “the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), strike in the country which has crippled the entire judicial system in the country should not just be seen as mere strike of court officials/ workers in Nigeria but it should be critically looked at from the point of the insistence by respective state governors (with exemption of Lagos and Rivers State) that Judiciary the third arm of government should never be Independent.

“The above mentioned appeal becomes necessary in order to save the country democracy in view of the present continuous and persistent attack on the constitution of the country by the 34, states governors in Nigeria.

It pointed out that “the clear provisions of Section 81 and Section 121, of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999,(as amended) provides the mode for the funding of INEC, the Legislature and the Judiciary, why should office of the governor which is a creation of the same Constitution with impunity vowed that the provision of the constitution as it relates to the funding of the Judiciary should ever be obeyed?

“Section 81(2) states thus: the heads of expenditure contained in the estimates (other than expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation by this Constitution) shall be included in a bill, to be known as an Appropriation Bill, providing for the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the sums necessary to meet that expenditure and the appropriation of those sums for the purposes specified therein.

According to the petition, the constitution stipulates that “the amount standing to the credit of the Independent National Electoral Commission, National Assembly, and Judiciary, in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation shall be paid directly to the said bodies respectively; in the case of the Judiciary, such amount shall be paid to the National Judicial Council for disbursement to the heads of the courts established for the Federation and the States under section 6 of this Constitution.

“While Section 121, of the Nigerian Constitution clearly states that: the Governor shall cause to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly at any time before the commencement of each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the State for the next following financial year.

“The heads of expenditure contained in the estimates, other than expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State by this Constitution, shall be included in a bill, to be known as an Appropriation Bill, providing for the issue from the Consolidated revenue Fund of the State of the sums necessary to meet that expenditure and the appropriation of those sums for the purposes specified therein.

It further noted that ‘Any amount standing to the credit of the judiciary in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State shall be paid directly to the heads of the courts concerned.

The group stated that the provisions of these sections of the Constitution have no ambiguity. It is therefore mandatory for all authority in Nigeria to observe and complied with the provisions of the constitution.

“There are laid down procedures for amendment of the Constitution and if the state governors feel aggrieved with these provisions the only option is to follow due process for constitutional amendment.

The Presidents’ Executive Order 10, 2020, which reinforced the provisions of the Constitution that guaranteed the direct funding of the Judiciary, is superfluous because you don’t need any Executive

Order on clear provision of the constitution, which says moneys due to the Legislature and the Judiciary should be paid directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

“How do you guarantee independence and impartiality of a judiciary when the Chief Judges are always on their knees begging the governors for fund in other to maintain a supposed sacred institution.

“We submit in an unequivocal terms that what the 34, state governors in Nigeria are doing is a grave assault on the constitution which affects the foundation of this country; it is high treason when a public official openly by words or actions say the constitution of the country is not binding on him.

“It should be noted that the present actions of the state governments is worse than acts of banditry and militancy because it goes to the foundation of the country, which is the constitution.

The worrisome part of it is that, none of the respective states Attorney Generals has deemed it fit to come out openly and distance himself from these treasonable acts of the state governors.

“This goes to show decline in professionalism in the legal profession in the country; if none of the 34, Attorney General of the respective states of the Federation see no reason to align with the Attorney General of the Federation that the provisions of the constitution is sacrosanct and must be obeyed by the Federating Units, then the legal profession and the judiciary as an institution is doomed in this country.

“We urge you to support the citizens of this country and lend your voice that the 34, concerned governors in Nigeria should uphold and obey the provision of Section 81 and sectio121 of the Nigerian Constitution.

Section 1. (1) Of the Nigeria Constitution provides that: “This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

“The provisions of the constitution of Nigeria are binding on all authorities in Nigeria including the state governors.

The group appealed to the three indentations communities saying, “We also urge you to immediately impose visa ban on the 34 state governors in Nigeria and their families; and also the 34, Attorney Generals of the respective states of Nigeria and their families.

“We are sending similar letter to the British and Canadian High Commissions making same appeal to save Nigeria Constitution and democracy from the current onslaught by the states governors in

Nigeria.

It disclosed that “We have also launched a campaign “resist continuous attack on the Nigeria Constitution & judiciary by 34 state governors.