JUSUN ANAMBRA DECRIES NON PAYMENT OF LEAVE ALLOWANCE
The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria in Anambra State has expressed displeasure over the continued inability of the State Government to pay its members their leave allowance.
The Chairman of the Union, Comrade Mark Ifezue expressed the displeasure in an exclusive interview with Radio Nigeria in Awka.
Comrade Ifezue alleged that the Accountant-General of the State, Miss Ngozi Okonkwo’s refusal to pay them their leave allowance was based on her allegation that nonexistent workers (popularly referred to as Ghost Workers) were in the Arm of the government.
He claimed that other workers in the State Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals had been paid their leave allowance.
“Going by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Accountant-General of the state can on no account usurp the powers and functions of the Auditor-General of the state. For her to just wake up and say that she found out that there are ghost workers in the payroll of the state judiciary and for that reason she will not honour the directive, because am aware she has been directed to release the cheques for leave allowance of the workers of the state judiciary.”
The Chairman of the Union also claimed that on the twenty-second of August last year, the judiciary arm of the government, without being audited remitted forty-five million, eight hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty-one naira, eighteen kobo being arrears of unclaimed salaries of new workers from January to July last year to the state government coffers
He then wondered how such an arm of the government could have non-existent workers. Comrade Ifezue who said the Union was still consulting with relevant bodies towards finding a lasting solution to the problem, stressed that the union would soon make its stand known.
As at the time of this report, the Accountant-General of the State, Miss Ngozi Okonkwo, was not available when Radio Nigeria visited her office to get her reaction.
reported by:
KEVIN EKEDIEGWU