Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kwara State Government has firmly rejected allegations that it is owing civil servants salaries for May and June 2026, insisting that payments for both months were fully processed and disbursed, and that only a few employees experienced delays due to ongoing payroll verification exercises. The clarification came in response to claims by organised labour that the government had failed to pay salaries and statutory deductions for the two months, a development that has heightened tensions between the state government and its workforce .
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the Press Secretary to the Office of the Accountant-General, Babatunde Abdulrasheed, quoted the Accountant-General, Abdulganiyu Sani, as saying that salaries for both months had been fully processed and paid. "I wish to state categorically that salaries for May and June 2026 were duly processed and paid. The assertion that the State failed to pay salaries for these two months is incorrect," Sani declared . He explained that workers yet to receive their salaries were affected by payroll validation, staff verification, and compliance requirements associated with the ongoing State Staff Identification Number (SSID) registration exercise .
The Accountant-General clarified that the verification exercise was designed to improve payroll integrity, eliminate irregularities, and protect public funds, rather than deprive legitimate workers of their salaries . He urged affected workers to complete the registration and verification process to facilitate the release of their outstanding payments . He also dismissed concerns over the engagement of a payroll consultant, describing the arrangement as a long-standing practice that provides only technical support for electronic salary processing. "The consultant does not determine beneficiaries or authorise payments. It simply processes the payroll that has been prepared, verified, approved and funded by the Office of the Accountant-General," he stated .
The government's response came shortly after the Kwara State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) issued an ultimatum demanding payment of the alleged outstanding salaries and deductions . The unions also called for the removal of the payroll consultant, the return of salary administration to the Office of the Accountant-General, and the removal of the Commissioner for Finance, warning that failure to meet their demands could lead to industrial action, including the picketing of the Ministry of Finance .
The Accountant-General maintained that the Office of the Accountant-General retains responsibility for preparing payrolls, verifying salary data, obtaining approvals, and funding salary payments . He reaffirmed the state government's commitment to workers' welfare, transparency, and the prompt payment of salaries and statutory deductions, urging workers yet to complete the SSID registration to do so to avoid delays in salary payments .
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