By Solomon OKPO
Magistrates in Cross River State have resolved to continue their 11-day-old strike, declaring that negotiations with the state government over the provision of official vehicles remain inconclusive.
The Chairman of the state chapter of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Godwin Onah, disclosed in Calabar on Friday that discussions were still ongoing but had yet to produce an agreement acceptable to the association.
According to Onah, the central issue in contention is the number of official vehicles to be provided for more than 74 magistrates serving across the state. He explained that the government had proposed supplying 15 vehicles within the current budget cycle ending in March, a figure the association described as grossly inadequate.
“We initially requested 37 vehicles at once, representing half of our members, with the remainder to be delivered on or before June,” Onah said.
Following the government’s refusal to revise its offer, the association reviewed its position and introduced a phased arrangement. Under the new proposal, 25 vehicles would be delivered in March, another 25 in June, and the remaining 24 in September.
Onah noted that the state government had yet to respond to the revised 25-25-24 proposal. He stressed that the magistrates would suspend the strike and resume duties immediately if the instalment plan was approved.
While acknowledging that other welfare concerns such as accommodation and security remain unresolved, Onah maintained that the provision of vehicles is the association’s immediate priority. He argued that adequate transportation would ease operational challenges, enhance mobility, and significantly improve judicial service delivery across the state.
He added that the magistrates were mindful of the state’s financial constraints and ongoing commitments, including efforts to recover oil wells. However, he emphasised that the issue of official vehicles had lingered since 2012.
“Renewed assurances were given in 2024 but have yet to yield concrete action,” he said.
The association appealed to the state government to approve the proposed instalment plan and bring the dispute to a close in the interest of justice administration and public confidence in the judiciary.
