Civil servants demand immediate payment of outstanding N35,000 wage award arrears
Federal civil servants have renewed calls for the Federal Government to urgently clear three months of outstanding wage arrears amounting to N35,000, citing the rising cost of living and mounting financial pressure on workers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Sunday that many government workers expressed frustration over the unexplained delay, emphasising that timely payment of the arrears is critical to sustaining household welfare.
Dr. Uche Anune criticised the government for delaying payments until civil servants resort to agitation or protests.
“I am seeing a pattern that whenever there is anything at stake, the government tends to be relaxed about it until some people start agitating or engaging in some form of protest.
”That should not be the case,” he stated.
Similarly, Mr. Joseph Edeh urged the government to immediately settle the outstanding three months, arguing that the delay casts doubt on the sincerity of the Federal Government.
“On the issue of this N35,000 wage award, honestly, as a civil servant and as a Nigerian, I have lost faith.
”They told us we had an outstanding of five months, after paying two months they stopped. Why are they treating us like this?
”Nobody is happy about this. What they should do is to clear the arrears, pay the remaining three months at once and forget about it,” he said.
Miss Franca Ofili also emphasised the importance of prompt payment, stating that the arrears could alleviate financial burdens for civil servants.
“We need the money; the government should clear the outstanding three months at once,” she said.
Government Response
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to paying the remaining arrears of the N35,000 wage award, though officials noted that payment depends on fund availability.
Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), explained that following the payment of the second tranche in August, three tranches remain to fully exhaust the arrears.
“Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the Federal Government has not reneged on payment of the wage award arrears.
”The Federal Government will continue to pay the wage award in installments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding arrears are fully settled,” he stated.
The ongoing delay has intensified calls from civil servants for the government to demonstrate greater commitment to fulfilling its financial obligations to workers.
