ABIA GOVT URGES JUSUN TO SUSPEND STRIKE FOR STAFF VERIFICATION, PROMISES SALARIES WITHIN 48 HOURS. (PHOTO).

 The Abia State Government has called on the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to immediately call off its ongoing strike and allow members to participate in a staff verification exercise.

The government also promised that salaries for judiciary workers would be paid within 48 hours if the union’s leadership provides concrete proof that Leave Allowance is not already included in the consolidated salaries they have been receiving.

Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, made the appeal on Thursday, April 9, 2026, while addressing journalists at Government House, Umuahia.

Uwanna expressed regret that the strike, which began on March 15, 2026, combined with the union executives’ refusal to allow verification of staff, was severely delaying the payment of pensions to retired judiciary workers.

“And one wonders, is this a coincidence, or was it a well-orchestrated scheme to continue to earn salaries by ghost workers and persons who have questionable credentials?” he queried.

He urged JUSUN to “allow the judiciary to verify its staff so that those pensioners can be paid,” adding: “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.”

On the contentious issue of Leave Allowance, the Attorney-General explained that the Office of the Accountant-General discovered that the consolidated salary structure already includes Leave Bonus, which effectively covers Leave Allowance.

Contributing to the briefing, Accountant-General of Abia State, Njum Onyemanam, clarified that her office does not directly handle the payroll of judiciary staff. She said her role is limited to processing and making payments only after the necessary vouchers raised by the judiciary have gone through the required approval processes.

The ongoing JUSUN strike has paralysed judicial activities across Abia State for several weeks, with courts remaining shut as the union presses for payment of accumulated leave allowances and other welfare demands.