Judges in Niger State set to embark on strike

Judges under the auspices of Association of Magistrates and Sharia Court Judges in Niger State have given the State Government a 21-day ultimatum to address the poor welfare packages of its members or face an industrial action.
They made their decision known in a letter sent through the Chairman of the Niger State Judicial Service Commission to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello.
The letter, which was dated March 1, 2018 and jointly signed by Gimba Gabi, Chairman, Magistrates Association of Nigeria, and Muhammad Dalibi, Chairman Sharia Judges Association in Niger State, was titled: “Letter of Resolution of the Congresses of Magistrates and Sharia Judges of Niger State,” and made available to newsmen on Sunday.
According to the Association: “The government must positively address the letter between the 5th of March and Sunday 25th March 2018 or we will down tools without further deliberations.”
The demands of the Association include the request for “the provision of armed security personnel to Magistrates and Sharia judges at our courts and residences and the fulfilment of the promise made to provide official vehicles to these category of judicial officers to assist us in the discharge of our official functions”.
The request for armed security personnel by the Magistrates and Sharia court Judges was linked to the recent abduction of a Sharia Court Judge in Allawa, who was detained for almost two weeks and only regained his freedom after a huge ransom was paid to his abductors.
They also asked that “the robe allowances and medical allowances of Magistrates and Sharia judges which are our rights should be immediately paid including the arrears of eight (8) years or more”.
The aggrieved judicial officers according to the document also asked the state government to “honour the agreement reached on the 16th February 2015 and immediately take steps to review our salaries upward.
“We also want the immediate implementation of our promotions as at when due and the payment of the arrears accrued therefore.”
They also asked the state government to “comply with the provisions of sections 84(2), (4), (7) and 121 (3) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court granting autonomy to the state Judiciary without any further delay”.
They equally requested for the resuscitation of the Ramadan and festivities packages usually granted by the government, which for the past three years had been stopped.
The office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice said action was already being taken on the demands of the judicial officers.
According to a top official in the Ministry who craved anonymity: “We received the letter last week and we have admonished the governor accordingly, I can assure you that their demands would soon be met.”