Magistrates Give Gov Otu 7-Day Ultimatum To Settle Backlog Of Salary Arrears

The Cross River State chapter of Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) has threatened to down tools should the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu fails to clear the backlog of salary arrears owed its members since 2015.

The magistrates also gave the governor seven days ultimatum to heed their demand following which they would have no option than to commence industrial action and disrupt court operations in the state.

Chairman of MAN in Cross River State, Godwin Onah gave the warning during the association’s general congress held on November 5, 2024, in Calabar, the state capital.

Onah said the warning became necessary following the level of insensitivity exhibited by the state government regarding the association’s welfare.

The MAN chairman urged the state governor to fulfill all the state’s obligations for the smooth functioning of the justice system, stressing that the low morale of magistrates could disrupt court operations and affect the timely delivery of justice.

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MAN, in a communique dated November 5, 2024, sighted by LEADERSHIP and signed by its chairman, Onah and General Secretary, Solomon Abuo, warned that courts in the state would be shut down at the end of the ultimatum in the case that their demand was not met.

“Why would state government fail to implement our promotions since 2015 despite the fact that between January and April 2024, the state governor, Bassey Otu, has effected the promotion of other civil servants?

“The N15,000 paid to our members as monthly impress is grossly inadequate to take care of stationery among other things in the office. Why can’t he pay N250,000 or N200,000 impress as received by our counterparts in other states,” the statement noted.

Other demands pushed forward by the magistrates include payment of their robe allowance, provision of official accommodation as well as promotion and regularisation their financial benefits across all cadres.