Kwara law officers threaten strike over unpaid entitlements

Law officers in the Kwara State Ministry of Justice have issued a seven-day notice of indefinite strike to the state government over the alleged non-payment of outstanding statutory allowances and the failure to harmonise their salaries and conditions of service with those of magistrates in the state judiciary. The Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Kwara State Chapter, issued the notice in a letter dated July 20, 2026, and addressed to the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The letter, obtained by The PUNCH in Ilorin on Wednesday, was signed by the Acting Chairman of the association, Keyinde Ayorinde, and its Secretary, Tolulope Oniyide. The association said the proposed industrial action, which commenced on July 20, will run until July 26, after which its members would proceed on an indefinite strike if the government failed to address their demands. The law officers said they had repeatedly appealed to the governor and the Office of the Head of Service for the payment of their outstanding allowances, but alleged that the government had remained indifferent to their demands. “We have made several representations to His Excellency, the Governor of Kwara State, through the Office of the Head of Service, requesting the payment of our outstanding statutory allowances and the implementation of the harmonisation of our salaries and conditions of service, but these efforts have not yielded the desired result. “Our outstanding entitlements include the balance of the 50 per cent furniture allowance for 2020 as well as robe allowances for the years 2024, 2025 and 2026, all of which remain unpaid,” the letter stated. The association also demanded the implementation of the harmonisation of salaries, allowances and general conditions of service for state counsel with those of magistrates in the Kwara State Judiciary, in line with the 2005 harmonisation approval. The law officers said their demands were connected to their welfare and the nature of their duties, which they described as critical to the administration of justice and the functioning of government.