The Cross River State government has ordered 30 magistrates in the state who recently protested the non-payment of their salaries for two years to stop work.
The state judiciary admitted in a January 4 letter to the magistrates that the government was unable to pay them since they were appointed in February 2019.
The letter was issued by the chief registrar of the state judiciary, Edem Okokon, who said he was authorised by the acting chief judge of the state.
“You are hereby withdrawn from sitting in court till further notice,” Mr Okokon said.
“There is no conscientious reason to have allowed you without pay for all this while as you may be tempted to fall into corrupt practices in order to survive. There are in fact, a handful of reports already received against some of such magistrates; hence this directive,” he added.
The registrar advised the magistrates to stay at home “until the issue of your salaries is settled”.
It is not clear whether the government will re-engage the magistrates after they are eventually paid.
The government’s action is a sad turn of event for the magistrates who recently marched on the road, carrying placards, and demanding their salaries.
One of the magistrates, Richard Bassey, collapsed at the gate of the governor’s office during the protest march.
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