Federal Civil servants in Nigeria under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the payment of the 40 percent peculiar allowance together with the April 2023 salary which includes January, February and March arrears
Some workers on Saturday started receiving bank alerts of the arrears for the first three months of the year
The approval for the peculiar allowance was conveyed by the head of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, in a memo addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
He stated that only the 144,766 staff members of the federal civil service under the CONPSS salary structure will be paid the allowance, which will take effect from January 1, 2023.
In the memo, the commission stated that the estimated sum of N79.37 billion per annum required to implement the allowance for the 144,766 staff on CONPSS would be funded from the treasury.
“This approval takes effect from 1st of January, 2023 and the estimated sum of seventy nine billion, three hundred and seventy-three million, three hundred and forty thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine Naira (N79,373,340,959.00) per annum required to implement it for the 144,766 staff on CONPSS will be funded from the treasury.”
Earlier in March, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed that the Federal Government had approved a pay rise for civil servants in the country.
He said that the pay rise had been included in the 2023 budget, noting that it would take effect from January 1.
Ngige described the pay rise as a peculiar allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality.
He said it was meant to help government workers to cushion the effects of rising inflation, rising cost of living, hikes in transportation fare, housing and electricity tariffs.
Reactions
Some of civil servants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Abuja on Sunday, described the payment as timely.
Mrs Agnes Iguben, a civil servant, said she was surprised to see an increase when she received her salary for April.
She said the money would go a long way in meeting her family needs throughout the month.
”I want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari, though I do not know what the increase is about but the government did well for us.
”Some people said it is a 40 per cent increase to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy that will be removed in June.
”Whatever it is, I pray it will continue so that my family can live an improved life,” she said.
Mr Abubakar Idowu, another civil servant, said that the development was commendable and well appreciated.
Idowu said that although he was yet to receive the credit alert of his salary, he was convinced the news story is true.
”God bless PMB. I know even his enemies will pray for him secretly for this; Everywhere is stew, everywhere correct. PMB is a goal.
”This is meant to help government workers to cushion the effects of rising inflation, the rising cost of living, hikes in transportation fare, housing, electricity and the likely removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
Another civil servant, Mrs Ngozi Ebe, advised fellow workers to spend wisely as the money was meant to cushion the effect of the proposed subsidy removal.
”In case you received arrears of payments, please do not spend all in case the fuel subsidy is removed from the month of June,” she said.
Another civil servant who preferred anonymity appealed to the President-elect to continue with the payment with a view to gaining popularity from workers.
”Most times, outgoing governments will make a law and the new government can change it.
”I pray that this will not be the case in this increment,” the worker said.
However, the non-academic workers in tertiary institutions, nurses, police, members of the armed forces and some other category of public servants will not benefit from the pay rise.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) protested the exclusion of its members from the payment of the peculiar allowance.
ASUU National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the Union would study the situation on the ground and make its stand known soon.
“We just saw the news this evening that arrears are being paid to workers. We are surprised. However, we will study the situation,” he said.
Similarly, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has also kicked against the exclusion of medical doctors from the pay rise.
NARD President, Emeka Orji, said that members were not happy with the development, because the Federal Government had yet to complete the process of increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure both for doctors and other health workers since over one year.
“We are happy that they increased the salary of civil servants, but the only thing is that they have yet to do ours up till now. These are some of the things causing agitation
“I’m sure that when we have our national emergency council meeting on Friday, April 28, 2023, this will be part of the major discussions and decisions will be taken in that meeting.”
NAN/PUNCH/PIAK/Additional Research
