Abia State Government has faulted a communiqué issued by the State Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Body of Chairmen, describing it as “unfortunate” and based on outdated information regarding the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria JUSUN.
The Director-General of Strategic Communication, Onyebuchi Ememanka, stated this on Thursday while briefing journalists at Government House, Umuahia, alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.
Barr. Ememanka while reacting to the communiqué which reportedly issued an ultimatum to the State government to resolve the lingering judiciary strike or face mass action by lawyers, described the position of the lawyers as misinformed.
The Governor’s Aide said that the communiqué did not reflect current realities as it was based on developments as at April 11, stressing that contrary to the impression created by the NBA, the government has maintained consistent engagement with JUSUN and has made substantial progress towards resolving the dispute.
He disclosed that the bulk of the contentious issues have been addressed, with only a few outstanding matters remaining before a final agreement is reached.
Ememanka stated that the government had intentionally kept details of the negotiations out of the public domain to create an enabling environment for constructive dialogue and meaningful engagement with the union.
“I want to say that the communiqué issued by the body of State chairmen is unfortunate and shows that they are not even up to speed with the developments that are taking place currently.
“From their communiqué, what they know is what happened as at the 11th of April. There had been regular interfaces, meetings were held, talks are ongoing and as we speak, we are almost at the point of final resolution of the issues that led to this strike.
“The issue of leave allowance has been settled. The issue of their pensioners settled. The issue of financial autonomy has been clarified. It’s just this particular issue of consequential adjustment with the government and they’re almost there”, Ememanka added.
Responding to the NBA’s claim that the state government ignored its request for a courtesy visit, the Governor’s Aide said due process must be followed adding that the letter was still undergoing administrative processes.
Responding to claims that the Attorney-General declined a meeting with the NBA, Barr. Ememanka clarified that the Attorney-General was out of town on official duty at the time and had instead proposed a virtual meeting stressing that it is unfair to characterize the situation as a deliberate snub.
On the issue of leave allowance, which initially triggered the strike, Ememanka said it had been resolved after both parties agreed that the allowance was already embedded in workers’ consolidated salaries, with the government agreeing to pay outstanding arrears.
“It became clear that leave bonus had always been there for them… and government has said, well, we are prepared to pay the 5 per cent arrears. So the issue of leave bonus has been conclusively settled”, he stated.
He further noted that verification of retired judiciary staff was ongoing to facilitate pension payments, assuring that the exercise would remain open to accommodate all affected persons.
On the contentious issue of judicial financial autonomy, Barr Ememanka insisted that the state was in substantial compliance, explaining that funds are released monthly to the judiciary as bulk allocations, which are independently managed by the Chief Judge.
Barr Ememanka argued that full financial autonomy, as advocated by some stakeholders, would require constitutional amendments to allow direct disbursement from the Federation Account to state judiciaries.
He clarified that the process of verification of judicial workers was neither initiated nor conducted by the executive arm of government but rather, it was undertaken by the Judicial Service Commission, which constitutionally holds responsibility for the management of judiciary personnel, including recruitment, promotion, and discipline.
Barr. Ememanka added that the engagement of a consultant for the verification exercise was done through a formal agreement by the Judicial Service Commission.
Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinard Ekeoma Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, reiterated that the state government has consistently demonstrated sincerity in its efforts to resolve the impasse and expressed optimism that the JUSUN would in due course, call off the industrial action in the interest of sustaining ongoing development across the state.
According to him, the government’s commitment to judicial welfare is evident in ongoing infrastructural investments, including the reconstruction and construction of modern court facilities across the State.
He noted that subventions provided to the judiciary already grant them the latitude to prioritise and execute capital expenditures, including procurement decisions, without undue interference and maintained that full autonomy, as often interpreted, would require structural adjustments at the federal level.
Mr Ekeoma reiterated the state government’s commitment to dialogue and peaceful resolution of the dispute, noting that the administration has continued to engage JUSUN and other stakeholders.
