As courts in Plateau State remain under lock and key, some residents of Jos have asked the government to grant the demands of the judiciary staff so as to put a stop to the sufferings of many Nigerians who cannot access legal services.
They expressed concerns over the government’s refusal to grant autonomy to the judiciary even after President Muhammadu Buhari has signed an executive order in that regard.
A visit to some of the courts in Jos, the Plateau state capital, revealed empty premises, locked offices, and a handful of people looking frustrated as their urgent need for various court services could not be attended to.
Some leaders of the Plateau State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union said that there is no going back as the strike action is justifiable considering the importance of the judiciary as the third arm of government.
They were worried that the government has failed to implement their request for autonomy as they believe it will provide the right atmosphere for justice to prevail.
All the respondents said that the government must take responsibility as the masses are always at the receiving end of such strike actions.