Confusion rocks the members of the Rivers State chapter of the Judicial Staff Union Of Nigeria (JUSUN) over the sharing formular of N20m allegedly collected as a bribe, before the union proceeds on indefinite strike.
The Rivers JUSUN’s strike has paralysed the administration of Justice in the state. Reliably sources informed this weekly that the state JUSUN took N20m as bribe before the commencement of the industrial action. However, the state chairman of the Judiciary workers, Comrade Sobeye Sokari-George has said that union members did not collect bribe from anybody, saying that, “the decision to embark on a strike was taken by the workers in a congress meeting held on the 9/6/2014 at the High Court, Port Harcourt. It was never an exco decision or an imposition. Impeccable sources hinted this publication that, some members of the union are now protesting, alleging that they have not received their share of the part of the N20m bribe.
According to them some members of the executive of the state JUSUN carted away huge amount of the said sum, and that they are nowhere to be found.
The Newswriter authoritatively gathered that, the JUSUN members in the state are now divided because of some elements of insincerity found among the exco.
Some judiciary staff are accusing their union chairman, Comrade Sokari George of politicking with the administration of legal system in the state. According to them, he has gone into hiding since the strike began, therefore they don’t know his whereabout.
When our editor contacted the union chairman, Comrade Sokari George, he alleged that he is not hiding. “My telephone is ever on. I have never switched off my phone since the strike started. I am not hiding”, Comrade Sokari George said.
A prominent member of the Rivers JUSUN told our judiciary correspondent that, some of the union members can no longer entertain the antics of Comrade Sokari George, whom he described as a stooge of the State Government. “We do not know where Sokari George is leading us to”, the judiciary staff said.
He further told The Newswriter that by next week if nothing happens, “we will no longer depend on or listening to Sokari-George, we have no option than to resume work because we are perceiving that the union chairman might have a secret deal with the State Government”. According to him, the real intention of Sokari George is to paralyse the state judiciary system so as to prevent Hon. Justice Daisy Okocha from performing her duty as the Administrative Head of the Rivers State Judiciary as recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says the ongoing strike action in the State by the judiciary workers is only aimed at frustrating the directive of the National Judicial Council, NJC, that the most Senior High Court Judge in the State which is Hon Justice Daisy Okocha should assume the responsibility of assigning cases and other administrative matters pending the resolution of the impasse.
The State chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union, Sokari George, the party alleges, is only being used by Gov Chibuike Amaechi as a willing tool to achieve this plot, as what he (Sokari) is acting is a play already scripted by his paymaster, Gov Amaechi.
According to the PDP, there had been more serious issues of judicial importance in the past that required the intervention of the State leadership of the judiciary workers including the stoppage of their salaries yet neither Mr. Sokari George nor the workers complained let alone embarking on any strike.
To make it look like this is not the motive, the JUSUN leadership led by Sokari George cashed in on the fire incident at the Ahoada High Court to allege insecurity as reason for the needless strike, the PDP notes.
“But the truth of the matter is that Mr. Sokari George was paid handsomely by Gov Amaechi unknown to his fellow workers to the tune of millions of naira to hold the courts to ransom so that the NJC’s instructions will remain unimplementable”, the PDP remarked.
To further hoodwink the unsuspecting public, the PDP adds, Mr Sokari George is surreptitiously going about to arouse emotions on the sorry condition of hundreds of Nigerians languishing in detention and awaiting trial in order to be absolved from any blame as though he is not part of the problem.
The PDP therefore wishes to warn Mr Sokari George, a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress, APC and his cohorts to keep to the civil service code he has sworn to uphold and defend and keep away from partisan politics or be prepared to accept the responsibility of the consequences of his unethical conduct.
Notwithstanding, the party insists, the right thing must be done to ensure that justice thrives and remains that which renders to everyone that which is his due. ###
