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Human and Gender Rights Activist, Ukan P. Kurugh, has welcomed the suspension of the indefinite strike action by members of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), Benue State Chapter, describing the decision as a demonstration of maturity and sacrifice in the public interest.
In a press statement issued on 26th May 2026, Kurugh commended the Law Officers for choosing to return to work despite the prolonged hardship caused by the strike, which began on 12th March 2026. He noted that the industrial action had severely strained the justice system, leading to repeated adjournments of criminal prosecutions, prolonged detention of inmates, disruption of legal advisory services to government institutions, and stalling of civil matters in courts across the state.
Kurugh stressed that the demands of the Law Officers were neither unreasonable nor impossible for the government to meet. He revealed that the Benue State Government currently employs only 64 lawyers, with the existing gross wage bill at N23,132,896.48, while the proposed harmonized wage bill stands at N31,238,077.40 — an additional monthly obligation of just N8,105,180.92. The outstanding 17 months arrears from December 2024 to April 2026 amount to N137,788,075.64.
He called on the Benue State Government to honour its earlier promise by commencing payment of the outstanding arrears with the June 2026 salary, as reportedly assured by the Office of the Accountant General. Kurugh emphasized that trust and credibility in labour relations depend on faithful compliance with agreements.
While commending Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for the ongoing construction of a modern Ministry of Justice headquarters in Makurdi, Kurugh noted that infrastructure alone cannot deliver efficient justice without motivated personnel, adequate welfare, and sufficient manpower. He strongly recommended the urgent recruitment of more lawyers, highlighting the excessive and unsustainable workload on the existing 64 officers serving across various ministries, departments, agencies, and area offices in Otukpo, Gboko, and Katsina-Ala.
Kurugh described the justice sector as a critical pillar of law, order, investment confidence, and democracy, urging the government to treat the welfare of Law Officers as a priority rather than an afterthought.
