Kwara LOAN: Urges Kwara Law Officers Salary Harmonisation with Magistrates

• The Kwara State Chapter of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria has urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to harmonise state counsel salaries with magistrates.
• This appeal, made in a letter dated September 8, 2026, follows previous commendations for the governor's approval of outstanding allowances.
• Earlier in July, the association issued a seven-day ultimatum and subsequently commenced an indefinite strike over these demands, disrupting government legal services.
• The state government approved payments for outstanding furniture allowances (2016-2020, 2024) and robe allowances (2024, 2025, 2026) following the strike.
• Despite these approvals, the core demand for salary and allowance harmonisation with magistrates remains unresolved.

However, despite these concessions, the central demand for Kwara law officers salary harmonisation with magistrates remains outstanding.

The Kwara State Chapter of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) has renewed its call for the harmonisation of salaries and allowances for state counsel, urging Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to align their remuneration with that of magistrates within the state judiciary. This appeal was formally communicated in a letter dated September 8, 2026, addressed directly to the governor. The correspondence, signed by LOAN Chairman Kehinde Ayorinde and Assistant Secretary Remisola Afolabi, underscores a persistent demand for Kwara state counsel equal pay.

This latest plea follows a period where the association had already acknowledged the governor's positive intervention regarding other outstanding financial obligations. The lawyers specifically commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for approving the payment of various allowances and entitlements previously owed to state counsel across Kwara. This gesture, according to LOAN, demonstrated the administration's commitment to worker welfare and was expected to significantly enhance the morale and productivity of legal officers serving the state.

Despite this appreciation, the core issue of Kwara law officers salary harmonisation remains unresolved. The association's letter, a copy of which was obtained by PUNCH Online on a Sunday in Ilorin, explicitly stated that while the recent approvals were welcome, the alignment of state counsel salaries and allowances with those of magistrates constitutes the "remaining aspect" of their long-standing requests. The legal professionals passionately urged the governor to address this critical element of the Kwara judicial remuneration dispute.

The current appeal for salary harmonisation is not an isolated event but rather the latest development in a series of protracted negotiations and industrial actions. Members of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria in Kwara have been actively agitating for months over a range of welfare issues, including unpaid allowances. This culminated in a significant escalation of the dispute earlier in the year.

In July, the association issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Kwara state government, demanding the payment of outstanding furniture and robe allowances, alongside the crucial harmonisation of state counsel salaries and conditions of service with those of magistrates. When this ultimatum expired without their demands being fully met, the legal officers initiated an indefinite strike. This Kwara state government legal services strike had immediate and far-reaching consequences.

During the period of industrial action, state counsel withdrew their legal services from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) throughout Kwara. This withdrawal severely impacted the provision of essential government legal services, causing disruptions to official proceedings and administrative functions across the state. The Law Officers Association Nigeria Kwara demands highlighted the critical role these professionals play in the state's operations.

Following the significant disruption caused by the indefinite strike, the Kwara state government responded by approving certain payments to the law officers. Specifically, the government authorized the settlement of the outstanding balance of the furniture allowance owed for the period spanning 2016 to 2020. Additionally, approval was granted for the payment of the 2024 furniture allowance.

Further demonstrating a commitment to addressing some of the welfare concerns, the state government also approved robe allowances for the years 2024, 2025, and 2026. These approvals were a direct consequence of the industrial action and the sustained pressure from the Law Officers Association of Nigeria Kwara. The association acknowledged these payments as a positive step, indicating that they viewed them as a sign of the administration's focus on worker welfare.

However, despite these concessions, the central demand for Kwara law officers salary harmonisation with magistrates remains outstanding. The association's recent letter, while expressing gratitude for the approved allowances, explicitly reiterated that the issue of aligning their salaries and overall remuneration structure with their judicial counterparts has yet to be resolved. This indicates that the Kwara judicial remuneration dispute is far from over, with a key aspect still requiring the governor's intervention.

The ongoing nature of this dispute, particularly the unresolved issue of Kwara law officers salary harmonisation, carries significant implications for the delivery of legal services within the state. The previous indefinite strike demonstrated the capacity of state counsel to disrupt government operations by withholding their services across various ministries and agencies. Should the harmonisation demand remain unaddressed, the potential for further industrial action persists.

Continued dissatisfaction among state counsel could lead to renewed disruptions, affecting the processing of legal cases, the timely issuance of regulatory approvals, and the general efficiency of interactions with state legal departments. The Law Officers Association of Nigeria Kwara demands for equitable pay are rooted in a desire for fair remuneration compared to judicial officers performing similar legal functions, highlighting a perceived disparity in the Kwara judicial remuneration dispute.

The association's continued appeals, including their prayer for God's guidance and wisdom for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in administering the state, underscore their hope for a comprehensive resolution. However, the fact that the harmonisation request is still pending suggests that the state government and the legal officers have yet to reach a mutually agreeable solution on this critical aspect of their welfare.

Lawyers and compliance officers operating in Kwara State should monitor this ongoing dispute, as continued dissatisfaction or industrial action by state counsel could lead to delays in government legal services, affecting case processing, regulatory approvals, and general interaction with state legal departments.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH Online