Abia State Judiciary workers have continued their strike action, which began on March 15, 2026, as the state government insists it will only pay the disputed allowance upon receipt of verifiable evidence from the workers.
The state government has, however, assured that payment will be made within 48 hours once the workers provide proof that their salaries—paid under the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS)—do not include Leave Bonuses, also known as Leave Allowance.
The workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), claim they are owed Leave Allowance and embarked on an indefinite strike on March 15, despite a government directive on March 13 asking them to provide evidence of non-payment.
Addressing journalists on Thursday evening at Government House, Umuahia, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), said the workers were asked to present evidence two days before the strike commenced but failed to comply.
Uwanna, who spoke in the presence of the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu; Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Mr Kingsley Nwokocha; the State Accountant-General, Deaconess Uju Onyemanam; and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Relations, Comrade Godson Anucha, explained the government’s position.
He disclosed that upon receiving the workers’ request for payment of Leave Allowance, the Abia State Government, through the Office of the Accountant-General, discovered that the Consolidated Salary Structure already includes a component referred to as Leave Bonus, which is equivalent to the Leave Allowance being demanded.
“We asked the judiciary workers to provide evidence that there is no component of leave bonus in their salary,” Uwanna said.
He added that the Office of the Accountant-General also requested details of how the workers arrived at their claims, as well as confirmation that they had not previously received Leave Bonuses. However, according to him, the union has yet to provide the requested information.
Uwanna further noted that the state government does not directly handle the salary structure of judiciary workers, as it falls under the judiciary arm of government, to which JUSUN belongs.
He revealed that instead of submitting the requested evidence, the workers issued a notice on March 13 threatening to embark on industrial action by midnight of March 15 if their demands were not met.
The Attorney-General explained that the consolidated salary system is designed to incorporate all emoluments of a worker into a single structure, though payments may be made in different components.
He reiterated that once JUSUN provides verifiable evidence that Leave Bonus is not included in their salaries, the government will process and pay the allowance within 48 hours.
Uwanna also noted that findings indicate that the Federal Government does not pay Leave Allowance separately to JUSUN members across the country.
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