Cross River State governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has approved five out of eight demands made by aggrieved majistrates.
AljazirahNigeria reports that magistrates in the state had embarked on a three-day warning strike to press home their demands and began indefinite strike last Monday, but suspended it following Otu’s positive response to most of their demands.
According to a source, “Professor Otu held a meeting with our Exco on Sunday night, December 8 asking us to call off the strike, with a promise to grant our demands on or before Friday, December 13. Thus, out of respect for him and in view of his promise, we had to suspend the strike on Monday night, being December 9.
“Furthermore, on Friday, December 13, we were informed by the chief of staff to the governor that Otu has approved five out of our eight demands for immediate implementation, while the remaining three will be implemented next year. However, we have not seen any written document to this effect to ascertain the demands that will be implemented this year and those to be implemented next year, neither do we know the details or timelines within which they will be implemented.”
A press statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Godwin Onah, and Solomon Abuo, respectively, indicated that their grievances include failure of government to implement their promotions and cater to their overall welfare.
According to the statement dated December 8, the magistrates also decried the payment of N15,000 as monthly imprest compared to magistrates in neighbouring states that receive between N200,000 and N250,000.
While demanding the rehabilitation of magistrate courts across the state, they condemned government for not providing them with official vehicles among other demands.
