Abia State Judiciary Workers under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have vowed to subsist their about four weeks old strike that they commenced on 15 March, 2026, until the state government implements their demands.

They reported that the state government had implemented only one of the workers’ four demands for which they embarked on the strike they suspended in March, 2023 but resumed it on 15 March, 2026.

The implemented ground was the confirmation of the then appointed state Chief Judge, Hon Justice Lilian Abai, as the substantive Chief Judge of the State.

The yet to be implemented three grounds were ; non-implementation of the Head of Service Circular dated 4th January, 2026 with Ref No HAS/EST/STR/52/88 conveying the approval of Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS) for Abia State Judiciary, which stated its commencement date as the 1st of January, 2015.

The other two grounds were the inclusion of JUSUN members in the payment of the Annual Leave Allowance, and grant of Financial autonomy and independence to the state Judiciary.

The State Attorney General/Justice Commissioner, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna SAN, while addressing journalists on the JUSUN strike last week, said that the government was ready to pay the workers the alleged owed Leave Allowance within 48 hours, if JUSUN produces evidence that what they are paid under CONJUSS , did not include Leave Allowance, going by that CONJUSS implies “Consolidated”.

Chairman of the state JUSUN, Comrade ( Prince ) Chinedu Eze while addressing journalists Monday at the Umuahia state Judiciary headquarters , faulted the Attorney General/ State Government for singling out non-payment of their Leave Allowance as the JUSUN’s main grievance, describing it as minor, and misrepresentation of the facts.

He said that their non payment of their owed Leave Allowance is a small component of their Strike citing the Major components, to include government refusal to respect financial autonomy and independence to the state judiciary.

He recalled that JUSUN and Government had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) on 22nd April, 2015, stating that it was on this basis that JUSUN suspended its then extant industrial action.

According to JUSUN, by this April MoU, the state agreed among others , to implement the financial autonomy and judicial independence , and commence payment of JUSUN salaries based on CONJUSS.

On the Government report that JUSUN refused the verification of Judiciary Staff like was done in the other two arms of government in state, the JUSUN Leader faulted government for engaging Consultants for this exercise, while the State Judiciary Service Commission should have done so, being responsible for Judiciary Staff matters.

He argued that hence there is a Judiciary Service Commission in place in the state, it is the Commission that should engage the Consultant, positing that government only wanted to use the Judiciary Staff Verification exercise to stall the JUSUN Strike, in addition to using the instrument of hunger to force JUSUN out of the strike.