The Abia State Government has called on members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria to suspend their ongoing strike and return for a staff verification exercise.
The government also said salaries would be paid within 48 hours if union leaders can prove that Leave Allowance is not already included in the consolidated salaries previously paid to workers.
The Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, made this known on Thursday at Government House, Umuahia, while addressing journalists on efforts to resolve the strike.
He expressed concern that the strike, which began on March 15, 2026, and the refusal of JUSUN leaders to allow staff verification, were delaying pension payments to retired judiciary workers.
“JUSUN should allow the judiciary to verify its staff so that those pensioners can be paid. So let them call off the strike, so that this verification exercise can be done, and these pensioners can start earning what is due them,” he said.
Uwanna also questioned whether the situation was deliberate, suggesting it could be linked to attempts to sustain payment to ghost workers or individuals with questionable records.
On the issue of Leave Allowance, he said the state government discovered through the Accountant-General’s office that judiciary workers’ consolidated salaries already include Leave Bonus, which he explained is equivalent to Leave Allowance.
The Accountant-General of Abia State, Njum Onyemanam, also clarified that her office only processes payments after proper verification and approval of vouchers, and does not directly control payroll decisions for judiciary staff.
