Abia Judiciary Workers’ Strike Continues as Government Demands Proof for Allowance Payment

The strike by judiciary workers in Abia State, which began on March 15, 2026, has continued unabated, with the state government insisting it will only pay the disputed allowance upon receipt of verifiable evidence from the workers.

The government, however, assured that payment would be made within 48 hours once the workers provide proof that their salaries 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), had embarked on an indefinite strike over alleged non-payment of Leave Allowance, despite a directive issued by the government on March 13 requesting evidence to support their claims.

Addressing journalists on Thursday evening at the Government House in Umuahia, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), said the workers failed to comply with the request before commencing the strike.

Uwanna, who spoke alongside the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu; Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Kingsley Nwokocha; the State Accountant-General, Uju Onyemanam; and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Relations, Godson Anucha, explained the government’s position.

He said that upon receiving the workers’ request, the 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 stated.

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, noting that the union had yet to provide the required information.

Uwanna further clarified that the state government does not directly determine the salary structure of judiciary workers, as it falls under the judiciary arm of government, to which JUSUN belongs.

According to him, 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.

He explained that the consolidated salary system is designed to incorporate all emoluments into a single structure, even though payments may be made in different components.

The Attorney-General reiterated that once JUSUN provides verifiable evidence that Leave Bonus is not included in their salaries, the government would process and pay the allowance within 48 hours.

He also noted that available findings indicate that the Federal Government does not pay Leave Allowance separately to JUSUN members across the country.