Federal civil servants say payment of outstanding wage award arrears is now a necessity, urging the Federal Government to clear the remaining N70,000 balance to cushion economic hardship and prevent labour unrest.
Federal civil servants have urged the Federal Government to pay the outstanding arrears of the wage award, describing the payment as a necessity amid worsening economic conditions.
The workers, who spoke with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, called on the government to offset the outstanding arrears to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
Ibrahim Abbas, a federal health worker, said the prolonged delay in clearing the arrears of the wage award was no longer acceptable, stressing that the funds were urgently needed to ease hardship.
“The condition of government workers has never been this bad. The Federal Government needs to take all necessary steps to clear the outstanding two months arrears of the wage award,” he said.
Another civil servant, Patrick Ugo, urged the government to settle the arrears without further delay, noting that the current minimum wage of N70,000 was unrealistic under prevailing economic realities.
“The wage award will give the workers some relief. I urge the Federal Government, through the Accountant-General of the Federation, to pay the outstanding two months, totaling N70,000 before April salaries,” he said.
Sule Aliu called on the government to review the minimum wage and make the N35,000 wage award a permanent addition to monthly salaries, saying the move would ease financial pressure on workers.
Similarly, Sani Garba urged authorities to consistently fulfil obligations to civil servants to prevent labour unrest, adding that the wage award should be incorporated into existing salary structures.
Aliyu Sani also stressed that workers were facing daily hardship and reiterated the need for immediate payment of the outstanding arrears.
The wage award was introduced in 2023 as a temporary cost-of-living support following the removal of fuel subsidy, pending negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
In April 2025, the Federal Government announced plans to pay five months of the N35,000 wage award arrears in installments. The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed that five months had earlier been paid in phases, with the remaining balance scheduled at N35,000 monthly.
However, after the first installment was paid in May 2025, the second was not released until August 2025, while the third tranche was paid on March 6, leaving two outstanding months totaling N70,000.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to clearing the remaining arrears.
Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, said payment of the outstanding balance would depend on the availability of funds.
“Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the Federal Government has not reneged on payment of the wage award arrears. The payment of the third tranche clearly attests to this.
“The Federal Government will continue to pay the wage award in installments of N35,000 per month until the outstanding arrears is exhausted,” he said.
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