Obiano, JUSUN disagree over judiciary allowances, as legal year begins

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), are at loggerheads again, over claim by the former that the allowances of the later had been cleared.
Obiano while speaking yesterday at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Church in Awka, during the church service to mark the 2016 legal year in the state said the judiciary allowances had been cleared 100 percent, adding that the judiciary was not owing anything, except arrears, which he said would be cleared before the end of 2016.
But the chairman of JUSUN, in the state, Comrade Mark Ifezue, declared yesterday while speaking with reporters, that the Governor was unfair in his statement, describing it as unfortunate.
According to him, “the Governor is not fair to the judiciary. As far as we are concerned, the state judiciary as at today, is still being owed capital vote allocation up to four quarters”
“The only capital vote release was only made in the first quarter of 2015, which was made to get (JUSUN) suspend its strike. Aside that, no penny has been released to the judiciary High Court”
“Sequel to this, we wrote to the state government and a meeting was held, where we entered into further agreement that the government would pay in the first quarter of 2016, but till now nothing has happened”
“So, it is unfair and unfortunate for Obiano to say such thing in the church. We have done another letter reminding them of the development and the issue of (CONJUSS) on 31st December, 2015”
“These are the issues the union reviewed and decided to write another letter to the governor, demanding immediate revolution to these issues”
“And if nothing happens, we will leave with no other option than to proceed on another strike and we will not want anybody to blame JUSUN” Ifezue said.

While addressing the crowd yesterday at the judiciary headquarters in Awka, the most Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN in the midst, Prof Ilochi Okafor and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) chairman of chairmen in the state Chief Emma Odum, wept over the deplorable state of the judiciary premises.

The Chief Judge of the state, Justice Peter Umeadi, said in his address that the judiciary (High Court) generated 146.9 million naira as at July 2016 as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
He said it was 29.9 million naira short fall from the projected revenue of 164.5 million naira.

Umeadi further said that the judiciary (High Court) was the third highest revenue earner for Anambra state already, without even calculating the August and half of September earnings.
He said, “The funding of the judiciary ought not be tied to what it could bring to the coffers of government, as the services they provide are more social than revenue generating”

“Yet we are happy and proud of our contribution so far as it was unenforced. Infact, it is anathema, grossly unethical to consider what funding should go to the judiciary based on what is able to add to the common purse. It is Infra dig” Umeadi said.

Furthermore, he said the inroad the judiciary (High Court) made in terms of Revenue did not include the five month’s (JUSUN) avoidable strike.