Two third of presiding judges in Zamfara State attend to court cases using commercial vehicles and motorcycles as their salaries cannot afford them utility vehicles.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria Zamfara State branch Comrade Abdul Nasir Dan Baba while justifying reasons for embarking on indefinite strike action nationwide at a Thunder Blowers TV show DA-WACHE-KAZO on Tuesday.
He said since 2009 when former Governor Mahmud Shinkafi procured and disbursed officials vehicles to judges in Zamfara no government has done similar effort to support them except for judges of High Court, State Chief Judge and the Khadis.
He further said it is ridiculing to see Shariah court Judge going to attend court cases via commercial motorcycles or commercial transport and expect the best from him.
He said by convention judges in Zamfara should be renewed their official vehicles after every four years to ease their transportation difficulties, but he lamented that the state government is not interested in respecting the convention.
He added that, unless the government is ready to do the right thing and respect the provision of section 121(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended the indefinite strike action may not be suspended soonest.
He also explained that, what they are demanding alongside the autonomy of the judiciary is payment of peculiar allowances as well equity of the basic salary of judicial staff in the state.
He appealed to the public to bear with them and support their agitation as it is capable of ensuring sustainable judicial reform.
