The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Akwa Ibom State Branch, has issued a one-month notice to Governor of the state, Pastor Umo Eno on its plans to embark on industrial action if the government fails to fulfill its obligations under an agreement previously reached with the union.
The decision was reached at the end of the union’s Congress at the Judiciary Headquarters, Uyo and made available to journalists through a Communiqué.
The well-attended congress, which drew members of the Executive Committee and representatives from the state’s 16 judicial divisions, was presided over by the Branch Chairman, Comrade Katele Ajah.
While deliberating on issues affecting its members, the congress commended Governor Eno for approving a 15 percent increase in peculiar allowance for judiciary staff and for the ₦1.5 million refreshment package approved during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration.
However, the union expressed strong displeasure over the non-implementation of the 15 percent arrears effective from April 2025.
The union also acknowledged the Governor’s allocation of 1,000 employment slots to the judiciary but described the figure as grossly inadequate to address the manpower deficit caused by retirements, deaths, and other exits since 2013.
It therefore appealed to the Governor to increase the employment slots to a minimum of 2,500 to meet the growing needs of the judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Citing the Third Schedule, Part II, Paragraph 2(1)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the union urged the Governor to reconsider the imposition of the unified state employment portal on the judiciary. According to the congress, such a policy undermines the constitutional functions of the Judicial Service Commission, which is a creation of the Constitution.
Among other issues discussed and unanimously agreed upon were the immediate release of all outstanding entitlements due to judiciary staff which include the 2025 robe allowance for lawyers, the 2024 and 2025 promotion arrears, salary arrears for court assessors, and the prompt correction of discrepancies in the CONAKEJUSS progressive salary table almost others.
The union resolved that if, at the expiration of the one-month notice from the date of service of the communiqué, the government fails to respond positively to its demands, it would proceed with a three-day warning strike to press home its grievances.
