JUSUN strike: Abia govt faults NBA’s protest threat, cites progress in talks

The Abia State Government has faulted the threat by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chairmen in the state to stage a demonstration over the ongoing judiciary workers’ strike, insisting that significant progress has been made in resolving the dispute.

 

The NBA had earlier accused the state government of snubbing its planned meeting with Governor Alex Otti and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), aimed at addressing the strike.

 

However, reacting on Thursday in Umuahia, the Director-General of the Strategic Communication Bureau, Onyebuchi Ememanka, alongside the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the NBA’s position was based on outdated information.

 

According to the government, most of the contentious issues raised by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have already been addressed.

 

“One of the cardinal issues that led to this strike was the issue of leave allowance. Our position as a government was that all workers who earn consolidated salaries have a component of leave built into their salaries,” Ememanka said.

 

“In the course of these negotiations, it was discovered by JUSUN themselves that our position had been correct all along,” he added.

 

On the demand for financial autonomy, the government maintained that there is substantial compliance in the state, noting that the Chief Judge determines how judiciary funds are allocated.

 

It also clarified that matters relating to employment, promotion, payment and retirement of judiciary workers fall under the jurisdiction of the Abia State Judiciary Service Commission, not the executive arm of government.

 

The state government further denied claims that Governor Otti and the Attorney-General ignored the NBA’s request for a meeting.

 

It urged stakeholders to rely on verified updates as efforts continue to bring the industrial action to an end.