The Abia State Government has called on striking judiciary workers to suspend their industrial action and participate in a verification exercise, insisting that the dispute over leave allowance can be resolved within 48 hours—if the union substantiates its claims.
Speaking at a press conference in Umuahia, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, said judiciary workers already receive leave benefits as part of their consolidated salary structure. He challenged the state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to provide verifiable evidence showing that leave bonus is not included in their pay.
Uwanna stated that if it is proven that the leave allowance is not embedded in the salary structure, the government would process payment within 48 hours. However, he accused the union of embarking on strike without submitting necessary payroll details, despite repeated requests from the Office of the Accountant General.
According to him, records available to the government indicate that leave bonuses are already part of judiciary workers’ consolidated emoluments. He added that under similar pay structures, including in the federal service, separate leave allowances are typically not paid.
The government also expressed concern over JUSUN’s refusal to participate in an ongoing staff verification exercise, warning that the action is delaying pension payments to retired judiciary workers. Uwanna noted that the verification process, initially postponed out of respect for judicial independence, was scheduled to begin on the same day the strike commenced.
He questioned whether the timing of the strike was intended to frustrate efforts to sanitise the system, warning that failure to carry out the exercise could allow irregularities, including ghost workers, to persist.
The Accountant General of the state, Njum Onyemanam, explained that her office only releases bulk funds to the judiciary in line with financial autonomy, while the judiciary handles its own payroll and disbursement. She stressed that the government remains willing to meet legitimate obligations once verifiable documentation is provided.
The state government urged the union to call off the strike in the interest of pensioners and allow the verification process to proceed, maintaining that resolving the dispute now depends on JUSUN’s willingness to cooperate.