The Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), Ebonyi chapter, on Wednesday decided to boycott all government cases thereby crippling judicial activities at the High courts.
The State Chairman of LOAN, Mr Ndubuisi Ogbuinya, said its members embarked on an indefinite boycott of court cases on Tuesday.
Ogbuinya said that their action was borne out of the realities of the times that law officers have a lot to contribute towards addressing socio-economic challenges currently facing the nation.
“These challenges included addressing impediments militating against the optimal performance of law officers.
“Our constitution lay special emphasis on governments’ funding, welfare and training of the justice sector and law officers.
“In this case, we are not on strike, we are always in office, but we do not go for sittings in the court,” he said.
According to Ogbuinya, the boycott is to make the state government to address the issue welfare of its members.
“These issues border on poor remuneration, non-funding of government cases and government refusal to accommodate members in the payment of the National Minimum Wage.
“We are appealing to the state government to look into the welfare of law officers in the state, “he said.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored activities in the court complex on Wednesday, reports that many cases involving the state government were stalled.
In the High Court, a matter between state and four persons on an alleged murder case could not hold as prosecuting counsels were not present in the court.
Some cases under trial were either stopped or adjourned by the judges of these courts.
The chairman further urged the state government to investigate the welfare of Law officers in the state.
“We are appealing to the State Government to look into the welfare of Law officers in the state.
“Lots of memos and correspondences on the subject matter have been written and sent to the State Government, but efforts have not yielded the desired result,” the chairman said.
All efforts by NAN to get reactions from the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Cletus Ofoke, proved abortive. (NAN)