Civil Servants Demand Payment of N35,000 Wage Arrears from FG

       Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja

Many civil servants in Abuja have called on the Federal Government to settle the four months’ outstanding arrears of the N35,000 wage award owed to them.

The workers spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, expressing frustration over the unexplained delay in receiving the payment.

According to NAN, the Federal Government had earlier announced on April 28 that it would pay the five months’ wage award arrears in instalments. This was confirmed by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

Mokwa stated that the government had already paid one month’s arrears in instalments and planned to pay the remaining four months in monthly instalments of N35,000 each.

He added that the first instalment was scheduled to be paid immediately after the April 2025 salary. “The wage arrears will not be included with the April salary but will be paid shortly after, over the next five months,” Mokwa said.

The government remains committed to fully implementing policies related to staff remuneration and welfare to boost productivity and efficiency.

However, after paying the first instalment in May, the OAGF has not made any further payments to the civil servants.

Civil servant Dr. Uche Anune emphasized that the government should act proactively rather than waiting for workers’ agitation. “It seems whenever issues arise, the government only responds after protests. This should not happen,” he said.

Anune added that the Federal Government had no excuse for the delay, urging them to honor their commitment. “The right thing to do is to fulfill the promise,” he said.

Mr. Joseph Edeh called on the government to clear the entire four months’ arrears immediately instead of paying in parts, expressing loss of trust in the government’s sincerity. “They promised five months, paid one, then stopped. This treatment is unfair. They should just settle the balance and move on,” he said.

Miss Franca Ofili also appealed for the government to meet its obligations promptly, noting the importance of the N35,000 arrears in alleviating civil servants’ financial difficulties. “We need the money; the four months’ arrears should be paid at once,” she urged.