The Abia State Government has called on striking judiciary workers to suspend their industrial action and submit to an ongoing staff verification exercise, warning that failure to comply could lead to a comprehensive audit of personnel records.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, said the dispute over leave allowance could be resolved within 48 hours—provided the union presents verifiable evidence to support its claims.
Uwanna insisted that 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 prove otherwise, stating that the government is willing to pay any outstanding entitlement if it is shown that such allowances are not included.
“If it is established that leave bonus is not part of their salary, payment will be made within 48 hours,” he said.
The government, however, accused the union of embarking on strike without providing necessary payroll details to justify its demands. According to Uwanna, repeated requests for documentation submitted to the Office of the Accountant General were ignored, with the union opting instead to issue a strike notice.
He added that available records indicate that leave bonuses are already embedded in the consolidated wages of judiciary workers, similar to arrangements in other sectors, including federal service.
Beyond the salary dispute, the government raised concerns about JUSUN’s refusal to participate in the verification exercise, warning that the move is delaying pension payments to retired judiciary staff. Uwanna noted that the exercise was scheduled to begin the same day the strike commenced, questioning the timing of the industrial action.
He cautioned that failure to verify staff could allow irregularities such as ghost workers to persist, undermining transparency and accountability in the system.
Also speaking, the state’s Accountant General, Njum Onyemanam, explained that due to financial autonomy, her office only releases bulk allocations to the judiciary, which manages its own payroll.
She reaffirmed the government’s readiness to meet legitimate obligations once due process is followed, urging the union to return to work and resolve the impasse through proper documentation.
