Workers of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Federal High Court (FHC) have opted out of the nationwide strike action initially scheduled for January 2 by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Their decision followed high-level interventions, notably from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who engaged judicial workers behind closed doors, offering verifiable assurances regarding their demands.

In a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting, the Supreme Court Chapter of JUSUN confirmed that it would not participate in the strike. The communiqué, signed by 12 principal officers and led by Chapter Chairman Comrade Danladi Nda, acknowledged the CJN’s “commendable efforts” in pursuing their demands at the highest levels of government.

“The CJN has already visited the Presidency and presented our concerns. With her active intervention and concrete assurances received, we believe joining the strike would amount to a misplacement of priority,” the communiqué stated.

 

Similarly, the NJC issued a statement through its JUSUN Chapter Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joel Ebiloma, noting that a two-week grace period has been granted to enable relevant authorities to address the issues raised. These include payment of wage award arrears, implementation of the new minimum wage, and the 25%/35% salary increment, all captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act.

“This grace period is to allow for dialogue and engagement with the Accountant General of the Federation to facilitate release of statutory allocations to the Judiciary,” the NJC’s statement read.

 

According to credible sources, Justice Kekere-Ekun secured firm commitments from federal agencies that the pending financial obligations would soon be settled, making industrial action unnecessary at this time.

The Supreme Court Chapter urged other JUSUN chapters to reconsider their stance and allow the CJN’s efforts to reach fruition.

“We urge our colleagues to remain calm and exercise patience. Let us rally behind the CJN’s initiatives, which are already yielding positive responses,” the communiqué added.

 

It concluded by stating that discussions are ongoing with other federal judicial chapters to encourage a collective decision to suspend the strike and allow peaceful resolution of the outstanding issues.