Ola Akinwunmi
Judicial activities across Ondo State have come to a complete halt today as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ondo State branch, commenced an indefinite strike, effectively shutting down all courts in the state. The industrial action, which began this Friday morning, has left judges, lawyers, and litigants stranded, bringing legal proceedings to a standstill.
Entrances to prominent judicial complexes, including the Akure Division of the State High Court and the Magistrates’ Court, were firmly locked, preventing access and ceasing all operations within and around the premises.
Confirming the industrial action, Ondo JUSUN chairman, Oluwafemi Afolabi, stated in an interview with journalists that the union had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the State Government a week prior, which expired without a resolution.
“We have directed all our members to stay off duty starting from today, June 13, 2025, till further directive, and to adhere strictly to the industrial action guidelines,” Afolabi declared. He added that the decision to paralyze activities across “all courts across the 18 local government areas of the state” was a direct consequence of the State Government’s failure to implement crucial parts of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that grants financial autonomy to the state judiciary.
“Following this, all courts across the 18 LGAs have been shut down and would be affected by the strike,” Afolabi reiterated, emphasizing the widespread impact of the industrial action.
The judiciary workers had, last Wednesday, issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, urging him to champion the immediate implementation of the MOU concerning the release of funds to the state judiciary in line with the principle of judiciary financial autonomy.
In a statement announcing the strike action, JUSUN Secretary, Kehinde Alade, expressed regret over the state government’s failure to honor the MOU. “Regrettably, the state government has reneged on certain parts of the agreements outlined in the MOU,” the statement read. “This continuous refusal by the state government to honor these agreements has had adverse effects on our members.”
The statement further highlighted the long wait for the implementation of the agreement, stating, “Having waited aimlessly since 2015, we hereby issue a 7-calendar-day ultimatum to the government to honor the reneged parts of the agreements in the MOU within 7 calendar days upon receipt of a letter.”
Attempts to reach the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kayode Ajulo, for comment on Friday morning were unsuccessful. However, an aide close to Ajulo, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that a meeting held between the State Government and JUSUN officials on Wednesday ended in a deadlock.
“The meeting ended in a deadlock because both the state government and the union could not come to a better agreement,” the aide confirmed, indicating a significant breakdown in negotiations.