The Federal Government has promised federal government personnel that the payment of the outstanding N35,000 salary award arrears will begin before mid-August, while outstanding promotion arrears are also being handled as part of continued efforts to satisfy its pledges to workers.
The pledge came amidst growing worries from organised labour over the delayed execution of workers welfare agreements including unpaid wage awards, promotion arrears and salary-related benefits.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele during a meeting with the leadership of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Side led by its National President, Kabiru Ado Minjibir in Abuja, the Head of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, said in a statement.
The approval process for the transfer of the cash was at the last stage, Oyedele stated and expressed the optimism that qualified workers would start collecting the outstanding wage award before the middle of the month.
And when the government promises it delivers. We are not in the habit of promising what we are unable to deliver. “We will provide realistic timelines where there are outstanding issues and make sure that they are implemented,” the minister stated.
He said the government had previously dealt with various labour issues before it received the formal message from the council.
The minister also informed the group that the promotion arrears were receiving the needed attention and that the pending batches were being processed in line with the down processes.
The meeting averted a planned labour showdown with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council suspending its August 11 ultimatum to the Minister’s office over unresolved workers’ welfare issues.
Leaders of the labour unions had asked for an emergency meeting over the non-payment of two months’ wage awards and the suspended implementation of 40 percent unique allowance for federal workers.
The Peculiar Allowance, a 40 percent adjustment granted by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, has an effective date of May 1, 2026, but has remained frozen throughout Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
On the payment process, the Director of Cash Management at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Christiana Osho, said the reconciliation for the outstanding wage award had been concluded and the payment release was at the final stage.
She stated that after the release is done, qualified public servants will start receiving the overdue wage award, just as the processing of the outstanding promotion arrears continues according to the agreed schedule.
Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, stressed the ministry’s determination to work hand-in-hand with organised labour to ensure that authorised workers’ benefits are processed and released without unnecessary delays.
The government has decided to facilitate the payment of the long promised 40 percent unique allowance through a supplementary budget.
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, said the promotion arrears of Batch 7 were accidentally left out of the earlier payment procedure and are currently being handled with those of Batch 9.
President Bola Tinubu had in October 2023 approved the N35,000 monthly provisional salary award for federal government workers as a temporary measure to ease the effects of petrol subsidy elimination and high cost of living.
Payments started at the end of 2023 but execution has been patchy with several months still to be paid.
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