FG Spent N177.4 Billion in Four Months On N35,000 Monthly Wage Award

The Federal Government spent N177.4 billion for the payment of the N35,000 monthly wage award to civil servants on its payroll for four months, according to the Govspend platform.

The wage award was agreed upon by the Tinubu administration with the Organized Labour, as part of the palliatives on the removal subsidy from petrol.

Govspend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyzes federal government spending, said the federal government paid N44.3 billion monthly to pay the wage award to one million, 266 thousand, and 906 federal civil servants.

Govspend, however, said the N177.4 billion paid over the four months was N77.4 billion more than the vote appropriated in the 2023 supplementary budget for the wage award.

This caused a two-month suspension of the payment after the first wage award was implemented.

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Following an ultimatum given by organized labour, the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, noted that the government would again resume the payment of the wage awards.

I am here specifically to reassure you that we have not forgotten about the agreements between the government and trade unions.

Thank God that you have confirmed that the Federal Government has started paying the N35,000 wage award and I can assure you that the payment is on course, and the outstanding will be paid within a short period, she said.

Some federal civil servants on Tuesday, in separate interviews with our correspondent, confirmed that the Federal Government had made payments for the November and December 2023 wage awards.

A senior civil servant, however, said some civil servants had started receiving the wage award for November 2023.

The payment came in this morning. Others have also confirmed receipt in my agency, the source said.

Also, a staffer of the News Agency of Nigeria confirmed the payments for November/December 2023.

She said, I received mine on Tuesday, and I was paid for two months- November and December 2023. The payment was N35,000 for each month.