The Federal Government has assured public servants that outstanding wage award arrears will be paid before the middle of August, while efforts are underway to clear promotion arrears and other pending workers’ entitlements.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite? Wait, no—according to the statement on Wednesday, the assurance was delivered by Minister Oyedele, who said the government remained committed to fulfilling agreements reached with organised labour.
He stated that the administration had already begun addressing several concerns raised by labour unions even before receiving their formal communication, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s government was determined to honour its commitments to workers.
“We are not in the habit of making promises that cannot be fulfilled. Where there are outstanding issues, we will provide realistic timelines and ensure they are implemented,” the minister said.
According to him, the approval process for the release of funds has reached its final stage, expressing confidence that eligible federal workers would begin receiving the outstanding wage award before the middle of August.
He also disclosed that promotion arrears were currently being processed in line with established procedures, while directing officials of the ministry to work with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to expedite action on unresolved labour issues.
The minister acknowledged concerns over delays in implementing previous agreements but assured labour leaders that the government would continue to build trust through transparency, dialogue and prompt action.
“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.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, pledged stronger collaboration with organised labour, saying the ministry would continue working with relevant government institutions to ensure approved workers’ benefits are processed without unnecessary delays.
He described constructive engagement as the most effective approach to sustaining industrial harmony and resolving outstanding labour-related issues.
The Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, announced that Batch 7 promotion arrears, which had been omitted during an earlier payment exercise, were now being processed alongside Batch 9.
He added that the government was also working with relevant agencies to address the payment of the 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance and other outstanding welfare claims.
Providing an update on the payment process, Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, said reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed, noting that payments would commence immediately after the release of funds, while promotion arrears would be paid according to the approved schedule.
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Earlier, the President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Kabiru Ado Minjibir, urged the Federal Government to urgently settle outstanding workers’ entitlements, including wage award arrears, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and other welfare-related issues.
He said prompt implementation of the outstanding commitments would boost workers’ confidence in government and help maintain industrial peace across the federal public service.
The latest assurance comes after the JPSNC requested an urgent meeting with the Minister of Finance over delays in paying two months of the N35,000 wage award and implementing the 40 per cent Peculiar Allowance.
The council warned that failure to resolve the issues could trigger industrial unrest among federal workers.
President Bola Tinubu approved the N35,000 monthly wage award in October 2023 as a temporary measure to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of living pending negotiations on a new national minimum wage.
Although the payments commenced in late 2023, implementation later became irregular, leaving several months of arrears outstanding. The Federal Government has since been paying the backlog in phases, with the latest assurance indicating that the remaining obligations will soon be settled.