FG pays second wage award arrears

Barbara Bako, Abuja.

The Federal Government has disbursed the second tranche of the N35,000 wage award arrears to federal workers as part of efforts to fulfil its commitment to cushioning the economic hardship faced by employees in the public service.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, said the payment covers one month out of the remaining arrears, following the initial disbursement made earlier this year.

The N35,000 wage award was introduced by the Federal Government in late 2023 as a temporary measure to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms.

It was designed to be paid monthly to all federal workers for a six-month period. However, payment delays resulted in the accumulation of five months of arrears.

With the latest release, three tranches remain outstanding.

The OAGF stressed that contrary to claims in some quarters, the government has not abandoned the programme.

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“The Federal Government will continue to pay the wage award in instalments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding arrears are fully settled,” the statement read.

The wage award was one of the key outcomes of negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour in September 2023.

The agreement, reached after nationwide protests and strikes threatened to paralyse the economy, included other palliative measures such as the provision of compressed natural gas buses, support for micro and small enterprises, and targeted cash transfers to vulnerable households.

The payment, according to the OAGF, underscores the government’s determination to honour agreements reached with labour unions and sustain industrial harmony in the federal civil service.