The Abia State Government has urged the state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria to suspend its ongoing strike and provide evidence of non-payment of leave bonus in its consolidated salary, assuring that the state would pay within 48 hours once the claims are verified.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, (SAN), gave the clarification on Thursday in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the JUSUN strike, alongside the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Kingsley Nwokocha, the Senior Special Assistant on Labour Relations, Godson Anucha, and the Accountant General of the state.
Uwanna recalled that the executive members of JUSUN had requested payment of leave allowance, prompting the Office of the Accountant General to demand details of how the figures were arrived at, as well as confirmation that the workers had not previously received leave bonuses. He said the union had yet to provide the required details.
He explained that upon receiving the request, the government discovered through the Accountant General’s office that the consolidated salary of judiciary workers already includes a component referred to as leave bonus, which, according to him, is the same as the leave allowance being demanded.
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He said, “We asked the judiciary to provide evidence that there is no leave bonus component in their salary.
“What we got on March 13 was a notice that the government should either pay them or they would proceed on industrial action by midnight of March 15.”
Uwanna explained that a consolidated salary comprises all workers’ emoluments, adding that JUSUN was asked to prove that its members’ salaries do not include leave bonus.
He assured that once the union provides the required documents and the government verifies them, judiciary workers would be paid within 48 hours.
He said, “At that point, members of the executive of the judiciary workers were requested to provide evidence, because the Office of the Accountant General does not have details of their salary structure.
“A consolidated salary is so called because all components are merged and paid as one, sometimes in instalments.
“We also considered practices in other states. The Federal Government does not pay leave allowance to JUSUN members nationwide. That is our finding.
“Similarly, the Federal Government does not pay leave allowance to medical doctors or other health workers under the consolidated salary scheme.
“The state will pay within 48 hours once it is established that leave bonus is not a component of their salary.”
The Attorney General also addressed the issue of staff verification, stating that efforts to verify judiciary workers had been repeatedly frustrated by JUSUN members.
He added that their refusal to participate in the exercise has contributed to delays in paying pensions to retired judiciary staff.
He said, “At the commencement of this administration, when the governor was sworn in, a verification exercise was conducted for all civil servants.
“However, because of the independence of the judiciary, its staff were not included initially.
“We later engaged the judiciary to appoint a consultant to conduct a separate verification exercise.
“Coincidentally, March 15, the day the strike began, was the scheduled date for the commencement of that exercise.
“One wonders whether this was coincidental or a deliberate attempt to allow ghost workers or individuals with questionable credentials to continue earning salaries.”
Uwanna noted that the governor had demonstrated commitment to workers’ welfare by paying other civil servants and urged JUSUN to reconsider its position.
He lamented that the delay in verification has adversely affected pensioners who retired from the judiciary and called on the union to call off the strike.
He said, “JUSUN should allow the verification of its staff so that pensioners can be paid.
“We have made several efforts to ensure proper verification and integration into a dedicated electronic platform for the judiciary.
“I urge them not to continue to make pensioners suffer. These pensioners are entitled to their benefits.
“They should call off the strike so that the verification can be completed and payments can commence.”
In her remarks, the Accountant General of the state, Njum Onyemanam, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to paying workers and pensioners on or before the 28th of every month.
She emphasised the need for judiciary staff to submit the necessary documentation to facilitate payment.
She said, “The judiciary staff need to provide verifiable proof that they are entitled to leave allowances that were not paid.
“They must submit their documentation and follow due process to receive any outstanding payments.
“The Accountant General does not manage the judiciary payroll. The judiciary handles its payroll and submits payment vouchers, which are then processed accordingly.”
The briefing was attended by Kanu, Nwokocha, Anucha, and other government officials.
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