The Federal Government has assured public servants that all outstanding wage award payments will be settled before mid-August, while efforts are underway to process pending promotion arrears as part of its commitment to clearing workers’ outstanding entitlements.
The assurance was given on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Side), led by its National President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, according to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The Director of the Cash Management Department, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage awards had been completed and that the release of funds was at its final stage. She added that eligible public servants would begin receiving their payments once the funds are disbursed.
Oyedele also noted that the government had already started addressing several of the issues raised by the council even before receiving its formal communication. He assured workers that all outstanding commitments, including pending promotion arrears, would be implemented within realistic timelines.
“When government makes commitments, it delivers. We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will give realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” he said.
“Our objective is to build a system where issues are resolved proactively. We want workers to have confidence that once government gives its word, it will honour that commitment,” he added.
Oyedele also directed relevant officials to review all documents submitted by the council, liaise with appropriate ministries, departments, and agencies, and expedite action on outstanding matters requiring government intervention.
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, said Batch 7 promotion arrears, which was inadvertently omitted during an earlier payment exercise, is now being processed alongside Batch 9 to address the gap created by the oversight.
He added that the Federal Government is also working with relevant ministries, departments and agencies to resolve issues relating to the Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding labour matters raised by the council.
JPSNC President, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, commended the minister for meeting with the delegation and urged the Federal Government to expedite the resolution of outstanding labour issues, including the wage award, promotion arrears, salary relativity concerns affecting health workers, and other matters impacting federal public servants.
Outstanding wage award payments and promotion arrears have remained among the key grievances of federal public servants under the current administration, with labour unions repeatedly expressing concerns over delays in implementing agreements reached with the government.
The council said it had requested a meeting with the minister on or before August 11 to resolve the outstanding welfare issues, warning that failure to address the concerns could trigger unrest among federal public servants.
The latest assurance from the Federal Government comes weeks after the Federal Workers Forum renewed its call for improved worker welfare, urging the government to review the country’s wage structure by approving a national minimum wage of ₦300,000.
