Former Abia Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Obinna Oriaku Fumes, says Abia State Government’s claim that they’re paying Eight years Arears of Abia Judiciary workers is not only Mischievous but misleading.
“This is one such news that makes people like us conclude that the present government is deliberately working to give a different impression about the situation on the ground.
The headline is misleading as it leaves the public with the impression Judiciary workers are being owed for eight straight years.
I should have concluded that it’s an error but the press release was signed by the Chief Press Secretary.
The judiciary workers’ welfare has been on the table for a series of demands which also include autonomy. Unfortunately for the last administration, I doubt if anybody still remembers what happened before May 2015 as those who are talking now were not around when the government started.
The Judiciary workers were on strike before May 2015 over enhanced salary based on their peculiar salary scheme called CONJUSS (consolidate judiciary salary structure )which the previous administrations refused to implement as it was seen as high and unimplementable by any State Government.
The leader of their Union then from Kano State came to Abia as the leader of the negotiation team. We were infuriated that Kano his state was yet to adopt that salary structure and Abia was being used as the guinea pig for that experiment.
Unfortunately, the young administration was forced to sign that agreement for the strike to be called off. This new salary scheme called the consolidated judicial salary structure took the minimum wage of the Judiciary worker to 40,000 when many states were still paying N22,000.
The arrears of the salary from the date they went on strike in 2015 to the time Okezie took over (which should be 6 months) is likely what is being referred to as an outstanding 8 years. There may be pockets of allowances yet to be paid but it is deceitful for the reporter to run with the above narrative as if the workers were being owed 8 years arrears of salary.
This narrative, no matter how attractive it may sound especially when the outgone government is being described does not help the image of the state.
I also believe that civil service reform is not only about ghost workers and salaries. The judiciary needs to be overhauled in Abia.Out of MDA’s total monthly wage bill of about 900m btw 2015 to 2029. The Judiciary workers had the highest expense head of N400m as regards wages/ salaries. Many people lobby for their kits and kin to be posted to the Judiciary even when they have no tables or chairs.
A reform committee headed by Justice Benson Anya made a lot of recommendations on how to strengthen Abia’s Judiciary beyond the infrastructural needs of that arm of government. The report should be on the shelves gathering dust which is regrettable.
Our justice administration system in Abia needs serious attention and should be devoid of partisan politics.
The above narrative is very deceitful. Pockets of outstanding arrears of some workers should not attract that kind of headline on a national television”, he concluded.
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