Federal civil servants have urged the federal government to pay the outstanding two months’ arrears of the wage award.

According to the civil servants, the money is needed to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

The civil servants spoke on Sunday in Abuja.

Tunde Akanji said the federal government should consider the harsh economic conditions in the country and offset the arrears.

He urged the federal government to take all necessary steps to clear the outstanding two months’ arrears of the wage award.

Janet Osas also urged the federal government to pay the arrears without further delay, adding that the wage award would provide workers with some relief.

Mrs Osas said the government should realise that the present minimum wage of N70, 000 was unrealistic.

Tom Ikwe said there was a need to pay the two months’ outstanding balance, totalling N70, 000, before the next salary.

Mr Ikwe also called on the federal government to review the minimum wage and make the N35, 000 wage award a permanent addition to civil servants’ monthly salaries.

According to him, the government should consider current economic realities and make the wage award a permanent addition to current salaries.

The National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, Michael Lenin, frowned at the government’s failure to pay workers’ wages.

He said that the situation threatens the welfare and livelihood of ordinary Nigerians.

Mr Lenin said it was unacceptable that employees could be denied their rightful earnings for months, while political office holders continued to receive substantial salaries and allowances.

“Politicians continue to receive millions and budget huge sums for themselves; it is ridiculous that government workers are being denied what is rightfully theirs for months,” he said.

Mr Lenin called for the immediate payment of all outstanding wages owed to workers, stressing that the non-payment of arrears had worsened the economic hardship faced by many families.

He also said that the current wage levels were inadequate in the face of soaring inflation and the increasing cost of living across the country.

Mr Lenin urged the federal government to implement a wage review that reflects current economic realities.

“We demand the immediate payment of these wages. We also believe that what workers receive today is far below what is needed to cope with the rate of inflation,” he said.

The youth activist further called for an upward review of workers’ salaries, insisting that remuneration should be adjusted to keep pace with the rising cost of living for workers and their families.

The wage award was a temporary payment to workers, approved in 2023 to ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal.

The wage award was augmenting salaries while a new national minimum wage was being negotiated.

The Director, Press and Public Relations of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr Bawa Mokwa, assured workers that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue.

He explained that the payments were traditionally approved by the relevant ministry after submissions from the responsible departments.

“They were paying it monthly, one month after another, but for some time now, there has been nothing.

“They have not said they will not pay. The issue is that they are working on it and they will pay,” he said.

(NAN)