The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has insisted that the Federal Government is fulfilling its obligations on the N35,000 wage award and will settle outstanding arrears in phases, even as federal civil servants express growing frustration over delays in payment.
In a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa, the OAGF said the government had already paid five months of the wage award in instalments and remained committed to clearing the remaining arrears.
Mokwa explained that the outstanding balance would be paid in monthly tranches of N35,000, subject to the availability of funds, until the arrears are fully settled.
“Contrary to claims in some quarters, the Federal Government has not abandoned the payment of the wage award arrears. Payments are being made in monthly instalments of N35,000 until the backlog is cleared,” he said.
He added that the government was determined to fully implement all policies and agreements relating to workers’ remuneration and welfare in order to enhance productivity and efficiency in the public service.
However, several federal civil servants have criticised the slow pace of payment, describing the delay in clearing the remaining three months’ arrears as unacceptable.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, some workers said the prolonged delay had intensified the economic hardship faced by government employees.
One of them, Mr Ibrahim Abbas, said there was no justification for failing to pay the outstanding three months’ arrears, amounting to N105,000.
“The condition of government workers has never been this difficult. The Federal Government must take urgent steps to clear the outstanding arrears,” he said.
Another civil servant, Mr Patrick Ugo, urged the government, through the OAGF, to pay the balance alongside workers’ January salaries, stressing that the wage award remained a vital relief measure.
Similarly, Mr Sule Aliu called on the government to consider making the N35,000 wage award a permanent component of workers’ monthly salaries to help ease financial pressure.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the wage award was introduced in 2023 as a temporary cost-of-living support to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal, pending the conclusion of negotiations on a new national minimum wage.
Despite the Federal Government’s renewed assurances, workers insist that any further delay in settling the remaining arrears is no longer acceptable.