All the judges in Plateau State have gone on indefinite strike with immediate effect as they protest a wrong done them.
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The 140 judges of the Sharia, Area and Customary Courts of Nigeria
serving in Plateau State have commenced an indefinite strike over
non-payment of dressing allowances owed them since 2009, Premium Times
reports.
The judges said they recently gave the Plateau State government a
14-day ultimatum to pay the arrears, but the government did not.
Addressing journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting, the
chairman of the forum of judges, Ayuba Danzel, said they were left with
no option.
“Since government failed to pay us our outstanding dressing
allowances for the past nine years, and its refusal to heed to several
appeals and the most recent ultimatum given by our association – Sharia,
Area and Customary Courts Association of Nigeria (SACCJAN) – we have
resolved to embark on an indefinite strike from this day 14th June 2017
till our demands are fully met.”
Mr. Danzel added that “we, the 140 judges will be going to our
respective offices as required, but there will be no court sitting until
we are paid our outstanding nine years dressing allowances.”
The judge lamented that the state government has deliberately refused to pay them.
He said judiciary staff and state assembly workers, who were owed
similar allowances, were promptly paid, but that the state government
singled out Sharia, Area and Customary Court judges and refused to pay
them till date.
According to Mr. Danzel, the 14-day ultimatum given by SACCJAN elapsed on June 6 without any response from the government.
The state government was yet to react to the strike as at the time of this report.
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