The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed that unpaid wage awards owed to civil servants will be disbursed by the middle of August. This announcement was made official on Wednesday in Abuja by Efe Ovuakporie, who serves as the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, shared this update during a session with labour representatives, headed by Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, the National President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council. Oyedele noted that the administration had already started tackling various workforce grievances prior to the meeting. He emphasized that President Tinubu remains dedicated to upholding agreements made with employees through open communication and active problem-solving.
To rebuild trust, the Minister indicated that the payment process for these outstanding awards is currently in its concluding phase. He has instructed staff to expedite the resolution of all pending issues raised by the council. Additionally, the government is working to settle outstanding promotion arrears, with official procedures currently underway. Raymond Omachi, the Permanent Secretary for Finance, and Mohammed Danjuma, the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, both pledged to improve cooperation with labour unions to prevent future delays. Danjuma specified that batch seven and nine promotion arrears are being addressed, alongside specific allowance concerns.
Mrs. Christiana Osho, the Director of Cash Management, confirmed that the necessary reconciliation for the wage awards is finished. Earlier, Minjibir had pressed the government to urgently address concerns regarding wage awards, promotion arrears, health worker salary relativity, and special allowances to maintain industrial peace.
