JUSUN strike disrupts Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Cross River 

…New date would be communicated – Secretary

By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)

The ongoing strike action by the Cross River State Branch of the Judiciary Staff Union (JUSUN) Thursday disrupted the activities of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal Panel 1, sitting in Calabar, the State capital.

The halting of proceedings by members of JUSUN followed the Tribunals inability to access the High Court Complex Calabar, supposed venue for the Tribunal sittings.

Our correspondent gathered that journalists and other interested parties who had arrived the venue at 9:30 as the Tribunal inauguration was scheduled for 10: 00 am could not enter the venue as the complex was locked with several strike action notices posted at the gate of the premises.

The secretary of the Panel, Akawu Bambur, who was also not allowed entry to the premises expressed worry at the Tribunal’s inability to sit due to the strike.

“We had discussed with them (the judiciary workers), that they should allow us to sit and they agreed; surprisingly, we are  here today, and we can’t gain entrance into the venue.

“We will communicate a new date because for today we cannot sit, you can see that everywhere is locked,” Bambur said.

The Cross River State Branch of JUSUN had in a jointly signed notice by its Chairman, Comrade Enya Ertoti and Assistant Secretary, Ashikebesang Eugene, advised its members to remain at home from Tuesday, May 2, 2023, until further notice over unresolved demands by the State Government.

Some of the union’s demands include: “implementation of the Constitutional provision of the financial autonomy of the judiciary, payment of the 66 per cent balance, and consolidated judiciary salary structure,” amongst others.