Subsidy Removal: Investigate Delay In Payment Of Wage Award, Federal Workers Tell Tinubu

The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has urged President Bola Tinubu to investigate the delay in the payment of the wage award for civil servants employed by the Federal Government.

The President had announced a wage award for Federal Government workers as a means to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

However, in a statement signed by FWF National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze on Friday, described the delay in the payment of the wage award as an act of corruption.

The statement said, “The government had promised a palliative package through a wage award meant to mitigate against the sufferings caused by the subsidy removal. Unfortunately, the wage ward is not paid promptly.

“The purpose of putting up the wage award has been defeated, as most workers only got paid just once in September, and are being owed three months arrears of payment, gradually getting to the fourth month now.

“It has been tales of harrowing experiences for the Federal Government workers in Nigeria.

“The workers have been suffering in silence. Federal Government workers are frustrated and sorrowful. Life has been made meaningless and hellish since the removal of subsidy on petrol. The daily rising cost of living has made everything worthless resulting in monumental hardship being visited on the workers.

“We the Federal Government workers are really very disappointed in the Federal Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not making provisions for the survival of the federal workforce after the removal of fuel subsidy.

“The Forum thereby resolves as follows:

“That all the outstanding wage award arrears be paid within the next fourteen days. That the government should investigate the delay in the payment of wage award, which we see as an act of corruption.

“That all outstanding promotion arrears and many other pending arrears owed workers be paid. That all pending arrears owed the federal universities workers be paid. That salaries be paid latest 28th of every month.”