Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have lamented poor remuneration and incentives.
Some of the workers on Wednesday night told SaharaReporters that they were being owed various allowances including 40 percent “peculiar allowance” 10 months after its approval.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the payment of a 40% Peculiar Allowance for all civil servants on Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) across the country in January 2023.
CONPSS applies to all staff members of federal ministries, extra-ministerial offices and agencies formerly on the Harmonised Public Service Structure (HAPSS).
The approval was to take effect from January 1; while the estimated sum of N79,373,340,959.00 per annum was required to implement it.
While other government workers have been paid the approved allowance, the judicial staff claimed they were yet to be paid.
“Please Nigerians should help us – judiciary staff. The Federal Government approved the payment of 40% Peculiar Allowance to all Civil Servants on CONPSS since January 2023 but we are yet to be paid and the Judicial Service Commission and Ministry of Justice are not even talking about it,” one of the workers told SaharaReporters.
“Sadly, these same people recently bought multimillion cars for Justices across the country, whereas the staff doing the major jobs in courts are suffering. Please, let President Bola Tinubu be aware that judiciary staff are facing a lot in this country,” another judicial worker said.
Another worker lamented acute hunger, saying they are poorly paid.
“10-month unpaid arrears of peculiar allowance, poor salaries to staff, workshops to upgrade our skills are not organized yet millions are budgeted yearly for that. Nigerians and SaharaReporters should help judiciary staff from these evil leaders. Judiciary staff need help, we are suffering,” he said.