Prove your Claims, Get Paid in 48 Hours, Abia Govt Challenges JUSUN

Abia State Government has challenged members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria JUSUN to provide components of its consolidated salary and get paid within 48 hours.

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna threw the challenge in Umuahia, while briefing newsmen on the lingering dispute between the government and JUSUN.

The union had demanded payment of its workers’ leave allowance, which the State government insisted is the same thing as ‘Leave Bonus’ contained in the consolidated salary paid to judiciary workers.

According to the Attorney General, the consolidated salary contains everything emolument of the worker, revealing that the JUSUN was requested to provide evidence that its salary does not contain “Leave Bonus.”

“Now, a consolidated salary is called consolidated because everything is consolidated into one and paid in different instalments,” Uwanna said.

“Sometimes we also look at what happens in other states. The federal government does not pay for leave allowance to JUSUN members in the nation. That is our finding.

“The state government will pay within 48 hours it realises that there is no leave allowance or leave bonus as a component of their consolidated salary.”

The Attorney General equally addressed the issue of verification of the Judiciary staff, disclosing that efforts to get them verified have been continuously frustrated by members of the JUSUN.

He regretted that such refusal accounts for non payment of pensioners who were staff of the Judiciary prior to their retirement.

He called on the union leaders to call off the strike to enable the pensioners of Judiciary extraction get verified and begin to receive their pension.

Lending he voice, the Accountant General of Abia state, Njum Onyemanam reassured the commitment of Abia state government to making payments of staff and pensioners on or before the 28th of every month.

She emphasised the need for the Judiciary to submit its documents to enable it get its funds accordingly.

“The only question that we’re asking the judiciary staff today is to provide verifiable proof that they have earned leave allowances that were not paid over the period.

“For the judiciary, they need to provide documentation. They need to submit their documentation and go through the payment process to be able to get their lump sum.”