Federal civil servants across Nigeria have issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate payment of outstanding wage awards, harmonisation of salaries, and a comprehensive review of their welfare package.
The call was made by the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), which decried what it described as years of neglect, economic sabotage, and exploitation by successive administrations, particularly under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It also expressed solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in their ongoing struggles and called for a one-day national sympathy strike.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Andrew Emelieze, a former Chairman of the Oyo State Trade Union Congress (TUC), the group accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfil its promise to pay the balance of the ₦35,000 wage award—a temporary relief fund introduced after the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023.
According to Emelieze, only two months of the promised five-month arrears have been paid, leaving ₦105,000 still owed to each federal worker for May, June, and July 2024.
“For 15 months now, the government has sat on this money, knowing fully well how poorly federal workers are being paid. To owe workers in such dire times is not just economic sabotage; it is a crime against humanity,” he stated.
The wage award, introduced in response to public outcry following the removal of petrol subsidies and currency devaluation, was meant to cushion the rising cost of living.
However, workers say the payments have been erratic and politicised, with frequent delays addressed only after protests or threats of industrial action.
FWF also accused the Accountant General of the Federation of reneging on an earlier commitment to fully implement the new national minimum wage, which, according to the group, amounted to nothing more than a ₦40,000 flat addition to salaries—heavily taxed and uniform across all grade levels.
“This is not a wage increase. It is an insult,” Emelieze said.
Describing the current ₦70,000 minimum wage as a “slave wage,” the FWF said it fails to reflect Nigeria’s harsh economic realities, where inflation, fuel prices, and utility costs have soared.
The group warned that workers are “sorrowing, hungry, and dying in silence,” noting that hardship has forced many to abandon their jobs or emigrate in search of better opportunities—a trend widely referred to as the “Japa” syndrome.
“President Tinubu has failed the Nigerian workers. Life under this administration has become unbearable, and there seems to be no reprieve in sight, only broken promises,” Emelieze said.
The forum also condemned the proposed 5% petrol tax, warning that it would further worsen the plight of struggling workers.
The statement ended with a call to action directed at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliate unions, urging them to declare a national warning strike.
“The condition of the Nigerian federal worker has never been this bad. We are demoralised. We are disappointed. But we are not defeated. The government must act now or face a united and determined workforce that will no longer be silent,” Emelieze declared.
