The indefinite strike by judiciary workers in Ondo State has continued after a meeting between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and aggrieved judicial officers ended without any resolution.
Judiciary workers, who commenced the strike on Monday over poor welfare conditions and the state government’s refusal to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary, met with the governor on Thursday in an attempt to resolve the impasse. However, the talks collapsed, with the workers insisting they would not return to work until all their demands are fully met.
The striking officers, who reportedly described Governor Aiyedatiwa as an “ungrateful beneficiary of the judiciary,” rejected what they termed half-measures and vague assurances offered during the meeting. Magistrates, Presidents of Grade ‘A’ Customary Courts and leaders of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) unanimously agreed to sustain the strike.
“At the end of the meeting, our position was clear: no financial autonomy, no work,” a senior judiciary official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
The stalemate has further worsened the crisis, leaving the judiciary in the state completely paralysed and raising concerns over access to justice and the rule of law. Since the strike began, courts across Ondo State have remained shut, with judicial activities grounded.
The protest initially involved a coalition of magistrates, Presidents of Grade ‘A’ Customary Courts and Legal Research Officers, before being escalated on Tuesday when JUSUN members joined the action.
With no breakthrough in sight, legal observers warn that the continued shutdown of courts could have far-reaching consequences for governance, justice delivery and institutional independence in the state.
