“Abia Government Urges Judiciary Staff to Halt Strike and Attend Verification Meetings”

The government of Abia State has appealed to the members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, to terminate their current strike and participate in a personnel verification process.

Additionally, the administration indicated that the wages of the employees would be disbursed within 48 hours if the union’s representatives can demonstrate that Leave Allowance is absent from the consolidated salaries received in the past.

Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, conveyed this at Government House Umuahia on Thursday while addressing reporters regarding the State government’s initiatives to address the ongoing JUSUN strike.

He expressed regret that the strike, which began on March 15, 2026, along with the JUSUN leaders’ reluctance to permit the verification of their members, are severely hindering retired judiciary personnel from obtaining their pensions.

“And one ponders, is this just a coincidence, or is it a meticulously planned scheme to continue receiving salaries by phantom employees and individuals with dubious qualifications?

“JUSUN should permit the judiciary to authenticate its personnel so that those retirees can receive their payments.

“Thus, they should end the strike, so that this verification process can be executed, allowing these retirees to commence receiving what is owed to them,” Uwanna stated.

Regarding the matter of Leave Allowance, the Attorney-General mentioned that the State government, via the Accountant-General’s office, found that the consolidated salary awarded to Abia State judiciary employees included Leave Bonus, which he asserted corresponds to Leave Allowance.

Additionally, the Accountant General of Abia State, Njum Onyemanam, mentioned that she does not manage the supervision of judiciary staff, clarifying that she only possesses the legal authority to process payments once the vouchers initiated go through the requisite channels.