Pursuant to the agreement reached by the Enugu State Government and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) a year ago, the state government has inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee to develop a framework for implementing financial autonomy for the state judiciary.
Inaugurating the Committee, the Enugu State Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, mandated the Committee to submit its final report for presentation by 12 noon on October 19, 2026, to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
Addressing the Committee, the SSG said, “The primary purpose of the Committee is to develop and recommend a comprehensive, structured, transparent, and sustainable framework for the effective implementation of judicial financial autonomy for the Enugu State Judiciary.”
The SSG further mandates, “Develop a comprehensive action plan, identify and resolve outstanding administrative, financial, accounting and operational issues, facilitate the implementation of the Consolidated Judicial Salary Structure (CONJUS) for eligible staff, and develop an implementation roadmap specifying actions, responsible institutions and expected outcomes.”
The Committee’s terms of reference include reviewing the status of judicial financial autonomy across state judiciaries and the Federal Judiciary, examining relevant best practices and institutional arrangements, and identifying models suitable for adaptation in Enugu State.
Also, they are to assess the state’s existing legal, institutional, administrative, and financial framework, identify challenges, and recommend measures and a timeframe for achieving the desired arrangement.
Furthermore, the committee is expected to collate, reconcile, and verify the government’s financial obligations to the judiciary and its staff, including outstanding salaries, allowances, arrears, and other employment entitlements. It will verify the legal basis for such payments and establish an accurate database of eligible staff by reviewing the staff establishment, nominal rolls, payroll, and personnel records.
It will also assess the financial implications of CONJUS, including annual and monthly personnel costs and verified arrears, and develop an implementation roadmap specifying key actions, responsible institutions, and expected outcomes.
The committee is chaired by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Osinachi Nnajieze, and includes the Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Dr Felix Nnamani; Special Adviser on Labour Union Matters and Associations, Hon. Chukwudi Ezinwa; Special Adviser on Labour and Productivity, Robinson O. Odo; Mr Raymond Aneke of the Office of the Accountant-General; and Mr Ken Chukwuegbo, Principal Secretary to the Governor.
Other members are Chief Magistrate Kingsley Eze, Chief Registrar, Enugu State High Court; Chief Magistrate Sparkle Iheobuna, Chief Registrar, Customary Court of Appeal; Comrade Chinedu Eze, National Organizing Secretary, JUSUN; Comrade Sampson Ifedimma, Chairman, Enugu State JUSUN; Magistrate C.K.C. Idu, State Chairman, Magistrate Association of Enugu State; Dr Comrade Chinedu Mbah, National Vice-President, JUSUN South East; Comrade Jonas Onyia, State Secretary, JUSUN; and Comrade Ani Emeka Samuel, Assistant Secretary, Enugu State JUSUN.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Enugu State, Barrister Osinachi Nnajieze, appreciated the government’s trust in them and commended Governor Peter Mbah’s strong commitment to the initiative.
Nnajieze recalled that the governor, during the Nigerian Bar Association conference held in Enugu, expressed willingness to advance the cause and inaugurate the State Account and Allocation Committee (SAC), a constitutional body; “the inauguration of the current Joint Technical Committee was a further step towards the establishment of the SAC,” Nnajieze said.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the inauguration, the National Vice President of the Judiciary Staff Union (South East Zone), Mr. Chinedu Eze, said the union’s role was to provide relevant information to assist the committee in carrying out its assignment. He stressed that judicial financial autonomy was a constitutional provision rather than a favor, saying its realization would strengthen the Judiciary’s ability to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
He expressed satisfaction with the Enugu State Government’s decision, adding that the arrangement would contribute to a more efficient and independent Judiciary capable of delivering justice without undue influence. “An independent Judiciary will provide justice for all and not justice for the mighty or the connected. It will create a saner society, and you know where there is justice, there is peace,” he said.
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