Anambra Judiciary Workers Threaten Showdown Over Leave Allowance

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Anambra State Chapter, has threatened to shut down the courts in the state next week if their 2016 leave allowances were not paid before the end of work on Friday.

The court workers also demanded N50 million capital votes from the state government for the last quarter of 2016 fiscal year.

JUSUN chairman in the state, Mr. Mark Ifezue, stated this in a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital on Friday.

He said from their investigation, the Accountant-General of the state, Ms Ngozi Okonkwo, was deliberately withholding their pay.

The state JUSUN chairman said other ministries and parastatals in the state had collected their leave allowances before the Christmas.

He said, “This is her calculated and deliberate action to punish judiciary workers in the state for demanding financial autonomy. This is not the first time the Accountant-General has omitted judiciary workers in such payment.

“If at the end of this week, they didn’t give out the cheques for these payments, we will be left with no other option than to shut down the courts in the state.”

When contacted on the telephone for her own side of the story, the state Accountant-General, Ms Ngozi Okonkwo, flared up.

She said, “And you said you are a journalist and you are calling me on the phone. Don’t call me on this phone again. Go and tell them to do their worst.”


Source: Punch