State govt inaugurates committee on judiciary financial autonomy

Judiciary workers in Enugu have resumed industrial action over alleged government’s failure to honour and implement the agreement reached with the leadership of the workers’ union in September last year.

The workers, who were on strike last year, had called off the action after the state government announced the approval of financial autonomy for the Judiciary in Enugu State.

Following the development, several consultations, negotiations, meetings, and engagements were held between the National Executive Council of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and representatives of the Enugu State Government, where an agreement was eventually reached.

The agreement was formally documented and signed by representatives of both parties, with the clear expectation that the outstanding issues affecting Judiciary workers would be addressed.

Among the government representatives involved in the negotiations and agreement were the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia; the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kingsley Udeh; and the current Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Osinachi Nnajieze.

However, the workers have resumed their strike, saying that despite the commitments made and the documents duly signed, the state government has failed to implement the terms of the agreement for more than one year.

The premises of the court were desolate and deserted yesterday as heavy padlocks were used to lock the entrances to the Enugu State High Court.

MEANWHILE, the Enugu State Government has inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee to develop a framework for implementing financial autonomy for the state judiciary, with the committee mandated to submit its final report for presentation by noon on October 19, 2026.

The committee was inaugurated yesterday by the Secretary to the State Government, Onyia, on behalf of Governor Peter Mbah, pursuant to the agreement reached between the state government and JUSUN on September 17, 2025.

According to Onyia, the primary purpose of the committee is to develop and recommend a comprehensive, structured, transparent and sustainable framework for the effective implementation of financial autonomy for the Enugu State Judiciary.

He added that the committee would develop a comprehensive action plan, identify and resolve outstanding administrative, financial, accounting and operational issues, facilitate the implementation of the Consolidated Judicial Salary Structure (CONJUS) for eligible staff, and develop an implementation roadmap specifying actions, responsible institutions and expected outcomes.

The committee’s terms of reference include reviewing the status of judicial financial autonomy across state judiciaries and the federal Judiciary, examining relevant best practices and institutional arrangements, and identifying models suitable for adaptation in Enugu State.